A Scoping Review on Foreign Language Teaching Enjoyment

Unraveling the dynamics of teacher-student relationships, emotions, and socioeconomic status in shaping subjective well-being among FL learners

Based on self‐determination theory, the present study investigated the moderation of teacher‐student relationships (TSR) in the association between anxiety and willingness to communicate (WTC) among foreign language (FL) learners and further examined potential gender differences. A total of 11,130 Chinese secondary students (51.2% female), ranging from grades 7 to 12 (mean age = 14.601, SD = 1.360), participated in the study, providing self‐reported measures as data sources. Moderation analysis revealed that TSR exhibited a negative moderation effect on the connection between anxiety and WTC. Specifically, when TSR was supportive, it could mitigate the detrimental impact of anxiety on FL learners’ WTC. Moreover, it was observed that supportive TSR had a more significant impact on reducing anxiety‐related barriers and enhancing WTC, particularly among female students. These findings illuminate the importance of self‐determination theory in FL teacher education, highlighting the critical role of fostering supportive TSR to promote communication willingness in FL learners.

Family context has been found to influence achievement emotions, but the factors that might moderate this association remain relatively unexplored. To address this gap, this research examined the moderation of teacher–student relationships (TSR) in the link between family socioeconomic status (SES) and emotions in foreign language (FL) learning drawing on control-value theory of achievement emotions and attachment theory. The research involved 4,155 eighth-grade students from China, who completed scales reporting their SES, FL enjoyment, FL anxiety, and FL burnout. The moderating effect model demonstrated that TSR played a moderating role in the relationship between SES and negative emotions in FL learning such as anxiety and burnout. However, no significant moderation was observed between SES and FL enjoyment. Specifically, a warm TSR was found to alleviate the negative impact of low SES on negative emotions in FL learning, such as anxiety and burnout. Conversely, TSR did not demonstrate the capacity to enhance the positive emotions associated with FL learning, such as enjoyment, among students from higher SES backgrounds. This research suggests the necessity to intervene with low SES students, with the aim of fostering supportive TSR and ultimately alleviating negative emotions in FL learning.

With the growing emphasis on positive psychology, the well-being of foreign language (FL) learners has become a key area of focus. However, existing well-being scales are typically designed for the general population, and a scale specifically tailored to the unique experiences and challenges faced by FL learners is still lacking. To address this gap, the present study aimed to develop and validate a well-being scale specifically tailored for FL learners. Using a mixed-methods design, the study involved 1,182 secondary school students in China, with an average age of 14.14 years ( SD = 1.21) and spanning grades 7–12. Grounded in the positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment well-being model, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis confirmed an 18-item FL learner well-being scale. This five-factor scale, including FL positive emotion, FL engagement, FL interpersonal support, FL learning value, and FL accomplishment, demonstrated robust psychometric properties with high internal consistency and split-half reliability, as well as strong convergent, discriminant, and criterion validity. Furthermore, as evidence of criterion-related validity, this study revealed a significant negative correlation between FL learner well-being and FL anxiety, alongside a strong positive association with teacher–student relationships (TSRs). These findings not only provide a reliable tool for assessing FL learner well-being, but also offer empirical support for interventions that aim to enhance student well-being by fostering positive TSRs and reducing FL anxiety.

This study illuminated the association between negative emotions such as anxiety and boredom and subjective well-being among foreign language (FL) learners and further examined the moderation of teacher-student relationships (TSR) in these associations, as conceptualised within attachment theory, control-value theory, and self-determination theory. The study involved 4,900 secondary school students from China, of whom 54.3% were male. Data on FL anxiety, FL boredom, subjective well-being, and TSR were collected using student self-report measures. Linear regression analysis indicated that anxiety and boredom were negatively correlated with subjective well-being of FL learners. Moderation analysis further revealed that supportive TSR mitigated these correlations. That is, supportive TSR acts as a buffer, reducing the adverse effects of anxiety and boredom on subjective well-being of FL learners. This research emphasises the crucial necessity of diminishing anxiety and boredom and cultivating supportive TSR in FL learning, with the goal of enhancing the well-being of FL learners.

The importance of socioeconomic status (SES) in foreign language learning has received increasing attention. However, previous research mainly examined the direct link between SES and foreign language learning, and few explored what might mitigate this link, especially in collectivistic culture. Based on social capital theory and the attachment theory, this study explored the moderating role of teacher–student relationships (TSRs) in the link between SES and English learning in China. Data were collected from 1,181 grade 8 and 300 grade 11 students in China using self-reported SES questionnaire, TSRs scale, and English achievement test. The results show that TSRs negatively moderated the association between SES and English performance of Chinese students both in grade 8 and grade 11, but the moderating effect of TSRs was slightly greater in grade 11. That is, supportive TSRs mitigated the effects of SES on foreign language learning, especially for senior secondary students. This finding sheds light on foreign language teaching and learning in China and other countries with similar sociocultural context theoretically and practically.

BackgroundSeveral studies have indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on nurses’ psychological and physical quality of life (QoL), as well as on their professional well-being. The literature also indicates that perceived stress, resilience, social support, the psychosocial work environment and professional identification may be determinants of these variables. However, no studies have examined how these determinants may influence nurses’ psychological and physical QoL or professional well-being throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the influence the influence of perceived stress, resilience, perceived social support, the psychosocial work environment and professional identification on Portuguese nurses’ professional well-being and physical and psychological QoL throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsFor this longitudinal study, data were collected through self-administered questionnaires focused on QoL, professional well-being, and sociodemographic characteristics. The data collection spanned three distinct time points, from November 2021 to June 2023. Data Analysis was conducted by utilizing random-intercept linear regression models.ResultsA total of 555 responses were analyzed at all of the measurement points (340 responses at T0, 122 at T1, and 93 at T2), and compared to those at T0, physical and psychological QoL increased at T2. Perceived stress and support from colleagues diminished at T2 compared to T0. During the COVID-19 pandemic, participants who reported low perceived stress, high resilience, high social support from supervisors, high social support from colleagues, and/or high job satisfaction tended to report greater professional well-being and physical and psychological QoL.ConclusionsThroughout the COVID-19 pandemic, perceived stress consistently negatively influenced nurses’ professional well-being and physical and psychological QoL; moreover, resilience and job satisfaction were consistently significant positive determinants of all outcomes. These insights highlight the need for targeted interventions to reduce stress, enhance resilience, and foster job satisfaction among nurses, thus ultimately improving their QoL, professional well-being and effectiveness in health care delivery, particularly during high-stress periods such as pandemics. Future research should explore how these stressors and protective factors influence nurses’ QoL and professional well-being.

Learning a language through another language is trivialto any type of language learning, whether it is the learning of a local or a foreign language. South Africa’s language policy for higher education recommends the study of foreign languages (FLs) and indigenous languages.A decade after its adoption, the learning of a foreign or indigenous language in that foreign or that indigenous language, respectively, at universities has been overlooked. In essence, the learning of foreign languages at the country’s universities dates back to the 19th century, when the first higher education institution,the South African College was established. At that College a Department of General Literature that offered Dutch, English, Latin and Ancient languages was established. English and Dutch teachers provided instruction in the English and Dutch language, respectively. The instructions involved theory, history and practice of English grammar and literature or Dutch grammar and literature. The learning of indigenous languages at the country’s universities began in the 20th century under the departments of Bantu Studies. They were learnt through English, and then later through English andAfrikaans. The instructions involved theory, history and practice of English grammar and literature. The aim of this study is to gain knowledge on the different approaches that may be used to learn a foreign language and an indigenous language. The study focuses on the complex challenges facing the country’s universities to adopt new, different and best models for the teaching of foreign and indigenous languages after many decades of using English and Afrikaans mediums. A case study method is used for this study. The emphasis is on the learning of foreign versus indigenous languages in South African universities (SAUs). The paper consists of an introduction, the theory of Grammar Translation Method (GTM), a case study on the learning of foreign versus South African indigenous languages (SAILs) at the SAUs, and a conclusion. Keywords: foreign language, indigenous language, learning, English, Afrikaans

The article presents a comparative analysis of the psychological characteristics of people having high and low levels of professional well-being. There were significant differences for all studied indicators between groups with high and low professional well-being. The widest differences between the two groups were found for average values of professional commitment, job satisfaction, autonomous motivation, in-demand profession, and professional psychological well-being; the smallest differences were determined for average values of life satisfaction, climate in a team and controlled motivation. Significant differences depending on a level of professional well-being were revealed and professional well-being correlations with the studied indicators in groups with its high and low levels were analyzed. A high level of professional well-being correlated strongly with many indicators of professional work: professional commitment, in demand in profession, psychological capital, professional self-attitude, meaningfulness of life, job satisfaction, professional psychological well-being, autonomous motivation and climate in a team. A low level of professional well-being correlated with the examined indicators with medium to weak strength. This confirms the integral nature of the phenomenon of professional well-being. The regression models for factors of high and low levels of professional well-being were similar. In both groups, the most important factors of professional well-being were: professional commitment, in demand in profession, climate in a team, subjective social well-being and meaningfulness of life. The differences were revealed only for the signs of coefficients applied to subjective social well-being and meaningfulness of life.

Emotional intelligence (EI) has gained prominence as a vital component in enhancing professional success, interpersonal relationships, and well-being. For teachers, EI not only influences classroom management and student outcomes but also plays a significant role in determining job satisfaction. This study investigates the relationship between EI and job satisfaction among Government High School teachers in Kattoor and Vellangallur Grama Panchayaths, Thrissur district. Using a descriptive research design and data collected from 60 teachers, the study explores three objectives: (1) analyzing factors of EI, (2) examining whether age influences job satisfaction, and (3) evaluating the impact of EI on job satisfaction. Findings reveal that managing emotions is the most emphasized EI factor, age has no significant effect on job satisfaction, and EI significantly but modestly influences job satisfaction. The study highlights the importance of fostering EI to enhance teachers’ professional well-being.  

Person-centred care and co-creation of care (productive interactions between clients and professionals) are expected to lead to better outcomes for clients. Professionals play a prominent role in the care of people with intellectual disabilities at residential care facilities. Thus, person-centred care and co-creation of care may be argued to lead to better outcomes for professionals as well. This study aimed to identify relationships of person-centred care and co-creation of care with the well-being and job satisfaction of professionals working with people with intellectual disabilities (PWID). A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2015 among professionals working at a disability care organisation in the Netherlands. All 1146 professionals involved in the care of people with intellectual disabilities who required 24-hours care were invited to participate. The response rate was 41% (n = 466). Most respondents (87%) were female, and the mean age was 42.8 ± 11.5 years (22-65). The majority of respondents (70%) worked ≥22 hours per week and had worked for the organisation for ≥5 years (88%). Most of the respondents (76.8%) were direct care workers either in residential homes (59.3%) or in day activities (17.5%). After controlling for background variables, person-centred care and co-creation of care were associated positively with job satisfaction and well-being of professionals. The provision of person-centred care and co-creation of care may lead to better well-being and job satisfaction among professionals working with PWID. This finding is important, as such professionals often experience significant levels of work stress and burnout.

This article reviews the empirical research literature on foreign language (FL) learning and teaching published between 2005 and 2010 in Germany. It focuses on the empirical studies that have attracted the greatest interest among researchers during this period of time. These include research on educational standards, teacher education, early FL learning, content and language integrated learning, motivation and interest, intercultural learning, literacy, learning strategies and cooperative and computer-assisted language learning. The review reveals rich and diverse research studies in the field of FL teaching and learning. As a relatively young discipline without a longstanding research tradition, this field overlaps in its research interests and methods with other research fields such as educational psychology, linguistics and the educational sciences. The review also shows that the research into FL teaching and learning is to a large degree dominated by small rather than large-scale projects and is characterized by its largely practical relevance. The review ends with recommendations for future research as a conditio sine qua non for further development in the field.

The Elementary School Journal Volume 85, Number 1 o 1984 by The University of Chicago. All rights reserved. 0013-5984/85/850 1 -0001 $0 1.00 The purpose of this article is to describe the self-worth theory of achievement motivation, to summarize the research generated under this model, and to consider the implications of research for classroom teaching and learning. The self-worth theory assumes that a central part of all classroom achievement is the need for students to protect their sense of worth or personal value. Perceptions of ability are critical to this self-protective process, since for many students the mere possession of high ability signifies worthiness. Moreover, ability is widely perceived as a major cause of success, and success in turn reflects well on the individual. For these reasons, I will focus on the topic of ability perceptions and on developmental changes in these perceptions. A second main theme of this article concerns the various strategies that students employ to maintain a sense of worthiness in the face of failure, an outcome that would otherwise lead to suspicions of inability. A third theme concerns a potential conflict of values between teachers and students. Specifically, the failure-avoiding strategies that students often use to maintain a sense of competency involve various subterfuge such as procrastination, not trying, and excuses. These tactics come in direct conflict with

Although several researchers have demonstrated that foreign language (FL) learning experience has a limited effect on the short-term development of second language (L2) fluency, recent studies have suggested that learners can gain long-term (over one year) benefits from FL learning experiences. As a part of the present study, 50 Japanese university students were exposed to L2 learning experience over the course of one academic year to monitor its impact on L2 fluency measures (i.e. speed, breakdown, and repair fluency) in FL context. The relationship between the development of L2 fluency measures and learners’ learning experiences inside and outside the classroom was also investigated. The results showed a significant decrease in the length of between-clause and within-clause pauses that learners made. Furthermore, the correlational analysis showed that their L2 learning experience was uniquely associated with the development of between-clause pause frequency and repair frequency. These findings suggest that, while relatively long-term FL learning impacts the development of L2 fluency, it produces a unique pattern, whereby the effectiveness of FL learning is influenced by how students make the best use of their learning experiences.

Learners’ willingness to communicate in a foreign language is regarded as a critical issue in educational contexts, so the role of emotional factors in learners’ willingness to communicate has drawn the attention of investigators. This review investigated the studies on the relationship between English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ grit, foreign language anxiety, and willingness to communicate. This review showed a significant relationship between learners’ grit and willingness to communicate. The earlier studies showed that gritty learners with incessant inspiring efforts are more likely to communicate in a foreign language. This review also indicated that lower anxious learners tend to have more willingness to communicate. Earlier studies also indicated that the theories, such as broaden-and-build, positive psychology, dynamic system, affective filter, and attentional control can justify the relationships between these constructs. Moreover, the study has some pedagogical implications and suggestions for teachers, learners, syllabus designers, material developers, teacher educators, policy-makers, and advisors. The ideas can improve their awareness of teachers’ willingness to communicate, grit, and foreign language anxiety in educational environments.