The impact of concordancing on English learners’ foreign language anxiety and enjoyment: An application of data-driven learning

Abstract

Over the past decades, several studies have focused on the role of data-driven learning (DDL) in language teaching and learning. Nevertheless, research on DDL is still scarce from an emotional perspective. As exposure to authentic language and discovery learning through DDL leads to increased awareness of regular language patterns, it is important to see if it affects learners' emotions, i.e., foreign language anxiety and enjoyment. To address this gap, the current study adopted a quasi-experimental comparison group pretest-posttest design within a validating quantitative data triangulation model. Ninety-six English-major university students were divided equally into two groups, i.e., one comparison and one intervention group, and were later exposed to the placebo and treatment, respectively. The placebo was 12 1-h sessions of traditional explicit instruction on how to mark important points in academic English lectures by a competent teacher, whereas the treatment was 12 1-h sessions of concordancing on how to mark important points in academic English lectures with AntConc. Drawing on foreign language anxiety and enjoyment questionnaires and free-response surveys, the findings of the study showed that concordancing did not result in any statistically significant differences between students in their foreign language anxiety. On the other hand, students found following a DDL approach with concordancing less enjoyable than traditional explicit instruction by the teacher. Altogether, the results highlighted the crucial role of the teacher in creating a supportive and enjoyable learning environment, the students’ inclination towards teacher-centered classes, and their dependence on the teacher as the sole provider of information. The study has theoretical and pedagogical implications for language teaching and learning.