Tracking the development of task-specific flow in TSLT: A longitudinal mixed-methods study

Flow has received growing attention in second language research, yet its longitudinal development in authentic classroom task ecologies remains underexplored. Guided by Complex Dynamic Systems Theory (CDST), this study traced the developmental trajectory of task-specific flow among 512 Chinese senior high school English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners in task-supported language teaching (TSLT) classrooms over one semester. Three-wave questionnaire data were analysed through latent growth curve modelling (LGCM), and semi-structured interviews with 10 students were examined using thematic analysis. Quantitative results showed an overall increase in task-specific flow, together with substantial inter-individual variability in learners' initial levels and growth rates. Qualitative findings further explained that initial differences were associated with motivation, perceived competence, and interest in task content; the overall increase was supported by accumulating performance feedback, teacher support, and peer interaction; and divergent growth rates were shaped by academic pressure and self-regulation. These findings conceptualise task-specific flow as a dynamic, context-sensitive experiential process and underscore the importance of instruction that sustains challenge, feedback, and interactional engagement.