Chinese Tertiary-Level English as a Foreign Language Teachers' Emotional Experience and Expression in Relation to Teacher-Student Interaction.

Xinfeng Xie,Guiying Jiang

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.759243

Abstract

The present study examines the emotional experience and expression of Chinese tertiary-level English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers and their interaction with their students. Data were drawn from semi-structured in-depth interviews with 10 EFL teachers recruited from seven universities of different levels in China and were analyzed in light of Emotional Geography Theory. The results reveal that Chinese tertiary-level EFL teachers experience more negative emotions than positive ones. The emotions most frequently reported by them are anger, enjoyment, anxiety, disappointment, and ambivalence. When it comes to emotional expressions, Chinese tertiary-level EFL teachers tend to display positive emotions by following the emotional rules of school settings. This study also uncovers that EFL teaching in Chinese universities is characterized by EFL teachers’ physical and moral distance from but political closeness to students, all of which are the sources of EFL teachers’ negative emotions. The need for providing positive psychology intervention for EFL teachers is then suggested.

Highlights

English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers lead a diverse emotional life in school settings
The result shows, to a certain degree, that EFL teachers in Chinese universities are dominated by negative emotions in the in- and after-class interactions with students, which might be one of the factors causing EFL teacher burnout
This paper reports on interviews with 10 Chinese tertiary-level EFL teachers in terms of their emotional experiences, emotional expressions, and their interactions with students

Summary

Introduction

English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers lead a diverse emotional life in school settings. Recent studies have shown that positive language teacher emotions, such as enjoyment, care, and love, can be pedagogical strategies for improving second/foreign language learning and teaching (Derakhshan et al, 2021; Wang et al, 2021). In terms of the dynamicity in EFL classrooms, teacher emotions are regarded as a force of creating classroom climate which affects students’ interest in and motivation for learning (Toraby and Modarresi, 2018). Dewaele and Li (2020) confirm that emotions guide and shape teacher-student interaction by transmitting between them. In this regard, EFL teacher emotions have an impact on the interaction between teachers and students. The understanding and misunderstanding incurred from the interaction between group members will give rise to various positive and negative emotions (Liu, 2016)

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Results

Conclusion