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This article reports on a small-scale study that
investigated the relationship between on-task behavior,
usefulness of materials as perceived by learners, and
enjoyableness of materials. It was hypothesized before
the study that learners spend a greater proportion of
the lesson on task (that is, actively engaged in the
task that they were set) when they see the lesson as
useful and/or enjoyable.
Data were collected daily over one term in two South
Korean university EFL classrooms. The correlation
between on-task behavior and usefulness of materials
was very low at r = .1608; with enjoyableness, it was
also low at r = .2463. It was concluded that the
learners did not spend more time on task because they
perceived the materials to be more useful, or more
enjoyable, but for some other reason.
The project also replicated part of a previous study.
Green (1993) found a correlation averaging r = .6480
between the EFL learner-rated usefulness and enjoyable-
ness of the activities in Puerto Rico. The present
study also found the correlation high, at r = .7040.
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