Learning Chinese as a second language in China: Positive emotions and enjoyment

Abstract

Exploring language learners’ emotions and their role in facilitating language learning in different contexts has become the focus of much research in recent years. This present mixed-method study investigated the language learning enjoyment of Chinese as a Second Language (CSL) learners studying in Chinese universities. A corpus of 216 international students, mostly from Africa and Asia, participated in a questionnaire survey and 20 of them were invited to take part in follow-up interviews. Analysis of the survey data revealed a distinct three-factor structure underlying CSL learners’ language learning enjoyment: Personal Fulfillment, Interpersonal Relations and Social Bonds. Personal Fulfillment was found to exert a significant direct effect on CSL learners’ language learning enjoyment while the other two factors played an indirect role. This was well supported by the qualitative data from the follow-up interviews. The findings suggest that the structure of learners’ language learning enjoyment may vary in different contexts but for CSL learners in China, especially for these adult CSL learners, a sense of fulfillment is the most effective booster for their learning enjoyment. Implications of the findings provide a better understanding of teaching CSL learners in China.