Effects of Different Types of Boredom on Foreign Language Learning

Abstract

Although boredom is regarded as a unique emotion in foreign language learning (FLL), studies on the effect of different types of boredom on FLL have not been found. This study aimed to fill this gap by examining it in college students in China. Participants (N = 314) learned firstly and then took an immediate test and a delayed one after completing Boredom Tendency Scale (BPS) and the Multidimensional State Boredom Scale (MSBS) questionnaire. And the relationship between these two types of boredom (trait boredom; state boredom) and the numbers of words forgotten as the indicator of the effect of FLL was analyzed, the results showed that these two kinds of boredom had interacted, state boredom had main effect on foreign language learning, while trait boredom had no significant effect on it. This study provides initial support to understanding of the effect of different types of boredom on FLL and suggests that the influence of boredom should not be ignored in foreign language teaching.