Promoting positive emotions among university EFL learners

Abstract

AbstractResearch indicates that investigation into the role of emotions during the process of second language acquisition (SLA) has lagged behind the work of educational psychologists. Experts in the area of achievement emotions have suggested that SLA researchers have limited their examination mostly to the role of anxiety and enjoyment. Consequently, an action research project was carried out, first, to determine whether emotions in addition to anxiety and enjoyment tend to arise when learning a second language (L2). Second, 13 advanced English as a foreign language (EFL) learners at a university in Mexico participated in 4 tasks as part of their class over the first 9 weeks of the semester, and subsequently were interviewed about their emotional experience. The tasks included a 45-s mindfulness activity, a reflection designed to promote a growth mindset, a discussion of a famous bilingual individual, and free voluntary reading. The findings revealed that a variety of achievement emotions emerged during the course, and in particular, in response to the learning tasks. It was concluded that not only can SLA researchers benefit from the strides made in psychology regarding emotions, but also that L2 educators should help L2 students experience pleasant achievement emotions by including activities of the sort described in this study.