The Experience of the Psychological State of Flow: The Relationship between Flow and Undergraduate Reading in English as a Foreign Language

Abstract

As a fundamental concept in Flow Theory, flow experience is characterized by a balance between challenge and skills. Together with intense focus, control, and interest, these experiences lead to enhanced performance on a given task. Only in the last few years have teachers and researchers begun to test the relevance of flow experiences to second language acquisition. Whether, to what extent, and with what effects undergraduate students learning English as a foreign language (EFL) also experience flow is yet unknown. The purpose of the present study was to examine possible flow experiences perceived by undergraduate EFL students while reading different texts in English. A secondary aim of the study was to examine possible associations between flow experiences and reading comprehension ability. A sample of two EFL reading classes including 54 sophomore learners (40 women and 14 men) with the age range of 19 to 22 years participated and provided the necessary data on flow experiences on a flow perception instrument.......