Individual differences have been shown to be related to language learners’ success in learning second or foreign languages, and studying these individual differences has been my main research interest since the beginning of my career. My investigations previously focused on possible effects of learner creativity, whereas more recently I started investigating how emotions related to the language learning experiences might affect learners and their language attainment. I am especially interested in the role positive emotions like enjoyment, pride, hope and curiosity might play in the language learning process. Moreover, I believe that studying the subjective experience of flow during language learning might also contribute to a better understanding of language acquisition.

Task-based language learning and teaching is a pedagogical approach which considers tasks as the main unit of language learning and instruction. When considered from a psycholinguistic perspective, tasks, especially certain features of tasks, are believed to engage learners in various types of information processing that are useful for language acquisition. In a more general sense, it is assumed that certain task features can be linked to different aspects of task performance, which necessitates a close scrutiny of relevant task features and performance measures as these provide invaluable insights for task design. I have used tasks in several empirical studies and investigated the effects of different task features like cognitive complexity and control over task content over the years.