The Role of Positive Psychology in English Foreign Language Classroom

Abstract

Positive psychology (PP) has developed rapidly in psychology, which has important implications for the field of English foreign language (EFL) classroom. The high prevalence of depression among students throughout the world and the synergy between learning and educating suggest that the skills for happiness should be taught in the EFL classroom. This study aims to explore the positive psychology and learning activities to the study of language by describing its main principles. The study was conducted using an exploratory approach in which data were collected through in-depth interviews with English lecturers and a questionnaire distributed to the students of the Islamic education department at the State Islamic University of Banten. The findings suggest that positive psychology can be brought into the classroom at Islamic higher education in Indonesia in fun and useful ways. The role of two main aspects in the process of teaching and educating, which are closely interconnected, is considered. It is expected that the students could both achieve foreign language skills and, at the same time, become more effective learners. It is based not only on the basic principles of teaching language but also on the application of the principle of positive psychology because teaching is closely related to mental aspects. The study provides several valuable insights into the expectations of the EFL classroom.