The effects of technology-assisted tasks on students’ affect and autonomy: a case study in EFL speaking classes in Vietnam

Technology is believed to play a positive role in assisting language learners to enhance not only their language proficiency but also their self-directed learning abilities. This study investigates the effects of technology-assisted tasks on EFL students’ affect and autonomy in a speaking course. Adopting a mixed-methods approach, the study involved 80 first-year English majors at a public university in central Vietnam to explore their perceptions of the impacts of technology-assisted tasks on their affect and autonomy in speaking practice. Data collected from an online survey and post-survey interviews revealed that most students appreciated the positive effects of engaging in technology-assisted tasks on their learning affect, as it made them more motivated, confident, and less anxious in practicing speaking English, thereby improving their speaking skills. Regarding their autonomy, students reported that fulfilling technology-assisted tasks helped them set goals for their self-practice, manage their out-of-class self-study, and develop reflection skills to improve their speaking weaknesses. These findings suggest that adopting technology-assisted tasks can be an effective formative assessment activity, applicable not only to first-year English majors but also to students in other foreign language speaking courses.