BEYOND THE SCRIPT: ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF TEACHER ENTHUSIASM ON TASK COMPLETION AND FLUENCY IN EFL CLASSROOMS
Keywords:
teacher enthusiasm, affective presence, task based learning (TBL), Student Talking Time (STT), flow theory, action research, EFL instruction, emotional scaffoldingAbstract
While Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) and Task Based Learning (TBL) provide robust frameworks for language acquisition, the effectiveness of these approaches is often mediated by the instructor’s affective presence. This action research study explores the relationship between teacher enthusiasm—operationalized through vocal variation, physical movement, and positive affect—and measurable student performance. Conducted in a secondary English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context, the study compares student fluency and task completion rates across varying degrees of teacher vitality. Initial findings indicate that high levels of teacher energy serve as a catalyst for learner flow, contributing to increased Student Talking Time (STT) and greater accuracy in task outcomes. The paper concludes that teacher enthusiasm should be understood not as a fixed personality trait, but as a core professional competency essential to effective language instruction.
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