THE IMPACT OF TASK COMPLEXITY ON THE LANGUAGE LEARNING PROCESS: ANALYSIS OF IMPORTANT FACTORS

Abstract

The task of the modern university is to foster motivation for study so that students’ aim was not simply to get a diploma or a certificate but gain fundamental knowledge and consider studies as self-development. For this it is important to provide students with adequate and understandable tasks—only in this case they will be fruitful. Motives are a structural component of any activity. Motivation is a process of encouraging to activity targeted at particular results. Successful studies are determined learners’ developed motivation which in its turn requires knowledge and motivating aspects. Research of the impact of task complexity on the language learning is an important sphere of studies of language teaching. Task complexity deals with the level of difficulty of a certain task. This is a multifaceted notion which embraces various aspects of tasks, including their cognitive requirements, a number of stages or components involved, a degree of uncertainty or ambiguity and experience, necessary for its effective execution. The article examines the dependence of students’ motivation on the difficulty of the task and its influence on their academic success. The authors indicate various factors influencing the formation of motivation, such as ambitions, personal interests, and even the level of motivation of teachers. The research suggests different approaches to motivating students, including stimulating internal motivation, developing self-esteem, actively involving students in the learning process, and creating a favorable educational environment where students will receive not only knowledge, but also interpersonal communication skills, self-realization, and critical thinking development. The authors present the results of student surveys on the impact of task complexity on their motivation during learning.