Promoting L2 Learner Engagement in Online English Language Classes: A Model of Authentic Activities for Online Learning

The Construct of Engagement

While a vast majority of published report have revealed that implicit learning constitutes a major part of language acquisition, learners’ conscious mental involvement has also been recognized as a crucial element for efficient L2 acquisition (Ellis, 2015). According to Pace (1998), engagement refers to learners’ specific behaviors within a learning environment that demonstrate the quality of their participation or investment in the learning process. In a similar vein, Duchesne and Philip (2016) construed the term engagement as learners’ interest and involvement in an activity. Research on engagement to date has been largely concerned with predicting learner engagement (Reschly & Christensen, 2012). Previous studies have defined and conceptualized learner engagement differently such as the amount of language production (Dörnyei & Kormos, 2000), the level of attention paid to the language features (Storch, 2008), the effort to work collaboratively with peers and complete task goals (Bygate & Samuda 2009), the planning, persistence and time-management in fulfilling a task (Martin, 2010). Skinner and Pitzer (2012) defined engagement as “constructive, enthusiastic, willing, emotionally positive and cognitively focused participation with learning activities in school” (p. 22).