Emotions in English language classrooms among Chinese top university students

Abstract

The role of learner emotions in language learning has long been observed and researched. Of various emotions, foreign language anxiety, enjoyment and boredom have been the most often researched, while research on other emotions like pride and sadness is hardly available in the current literature. Research on emotions in students with special characteristics can be hardly found as well. Hence, this study collected interview data from 26 and survey data from 520 top students in two universities in China to examine their emotions in English language class. Analyses of the data revealed the following major findings: (a) The participants experienced a diversity of emotions in their English language class due to both learner-internal and external reasons, but the most often reported emotions were anxiety, enjoyment and boredom, (b) significant correlations existed among the students’ English language classroom anxiety, enjoyment and boredom, (c) English language classroom anxiety and boredom significantly negatively while enjoyment significantly positively predicted the students’ English test performance, and (d) English language classroom anxiety debilitated English learning but motivated students to study harder as well; enjoyment facilitated English learning but students might forget much of what had been learned after class; though boredom caused some students to be absent-minded in class, most students would study on their own when feeling bored. These findings further pinpoint the important role and complex nature of learner emotions in second/foreign language learning. Based on these findings, specific suggestions for language teachers and learners are discussed.