Abstract
AbstractThe study examines whether already knowing several languages and feeling proficient in a new foreign language (FL) has an effect on positive and negative emotions during the learning. The emergence of positive psychology in language acquisition studies has led to the examination of positive emotions in the FL learning process, such as Foreign Language Enjoyment (FLE). FLE is a positive emotional state where psychological needs are met and was introduced as the positive emotion counterpart to the oft studied negative emotion, Foreign Language Anxiety (FLA). A international sample of 1622 FL learners were analysed utilising multivariate tests of variance, examining the level of multilingualism and the level of self-perceived FL proficiency as independent variables, with FLE and FLA as dependent variables. Results indicated a very small, but statistically significant interaction effect between the level of multilingualism and self-perceived FL proficiency on the FLA of the language learner, but not on FLE. In addition, higher levels of multilingualism were associated with higher levels of enjoyment and lower levels of anxiety in FL learners. In turn, more self-perceived proficient FL learners indicated higher levels of enjoyment and lower levels of anxiety. Although effect sizes were in some cases very small, the results do indicate the benefits multilinguals and higher proficiency FL learners have when learning a FL.
Highlights
Positive psychology and the focus on positive emotions in the foreign language classroom has led to a recent “positive renaissance” in FL studies (Dewaele et al 2019; Dewaele & MacIntyre 2014; MacIntyre, Gregersen & Mercer 2019; MacIntyre & Mercer 2014)
A positive emotion counterpart to Foreign Language Anxiety (FLA) was introduced: Foreign Language Enjoyment (FLE), which encapsulates a positive emotional state where psychological needs are met during the FL learning process (Dewaele & MacIntyre 2014)
The study investigated the effects of multilingualism and perceived FL proficiency on emotions in FL learning
Summary
Positive psychology and the focus on positive emotions in the foreign language classroom has led to a recent “positive renaissance” in FL studies (Dewaele et al 2019; Dewaele & MacIntyre 2014; MacIntyre, Gregersen & Mercer 2019; MacIntyre & Mercer 2014). Positive psychology with its three fundamental pillars of focusing on positive character traits, enabling institutions, and positive emotions to help individuals and communities thrive and flourish (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi 2014), has been introduced as a ‘meta-theory’ in FL studies (MacIntyre, Gregersen & Mercer 2019) This ‘meta-theory’ of focusing on positive emotions has led to an expansion of the known repertoire of emotional variables in FL learning. A positive emotion counterpart to FLA was introduced: Foreign Language Enjoyment (FLE), which encapsulates a positive emotional state where psychological needs are met during the FL learning process (Dewaele & MacIntyre 2014). FLE and FLA can be considered the left and right feet of the language learner (Dewaele & MacIntyre 2016)
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