Search Results (20)

Academic emotions constitute a central component of students’ learning processes and overall academic satisfaction. Within English-Medium Instruction (EMI) contexts, learning through a foreign language may modulate students’ emotional experiences in complex ways. However, limited research has examined emotional profiles among students enrolled in EMI programmes. This study adopts a person-centred approach to identify emotional profiles based on students’ achievement emotions and to examine whether these profiles differ in terms of learning satisfaction. Participants were 128 undergraduate students enrolled in a bilingual degree programme at a Spanish university. Emotions were measured using the Achievement Emotions Questionnaire—Short Version (AEQ-S), and a k-means cluster analysis was conducted. The results revealed two distinct profiles: a more adaptive emotional profile, characterized by higher levels of enjoyment, hope, and pride, and a negative emotional profile, marked by higher levels of anger, anxiety, shame, hopelessness, and boredom. Students in the adaptive profile reported significantly higher levels of satisfaction, with a large effect size. No significant association was found between emotional profiles and students’ self-reported English proficiency, gender, and academic year. These findings suggest that fostering positive emotions—particularly enjoyment—and reducing deactivating negative emotions such as boredom and hopelessness may be key to enhancing student satisfaction in EMI programmes. Educators and institutions are encouraged to design emotionally supportive learning environments, going beyond a sole focus on language proficiency. Full article

This study employs a meta-analytic approach to synthesize empirical evidence on the impact of AI-assisted learning on the agency of foreign language learners. The overall synthesis indicates positive associations between AI-assisted learning and multiple dimensions of learner agency; however, the magnitude of these associations varies substantially across studies. Among these outcomes, engagement shows the largest pooled effect size (r = 0.648), whereas enjoyment demonstrates the smallest (r = 0.392). Due to extreme heterogeneity, these pooled estimates serve only as descriptive summaries of the literature rather than evidence of robust effects, as variability significantly constrains their interpretability. Moderator analyses and meta-regression were conducted to explore potential sources of this heterogeneity. Although subgroup analyses reveal that neither learners’ first-language background, educational level, nor AI tool type significantly accounts for between-study variability, indicating that contextual factors likely shape outcomes in complex ways. These findings underscore the robust potential of AI-assisted learning while emphasizing the importance of investigating specific conditions—such as task design, teacher intervention, and learner profiles—that optimize agency development. Future research should move beyond global effect estimates toward context-sensitive strategies for maximizing AI’s impact on learner agency. Full article

Public schools often operate with shared devices, unstable connectivity, and limited support for digital tools, which can make feature-heavy platforms difficult to adopt and sustain. This study reports the first formal design iteration and formative evaluation of VLEPIC, a school-centred virtual learning environment (VLE) developed to support secondary English as a Foreign Language in a low-resource Ecuadorian public school. Using a design-based research approach with a convergent mixed-methods design, one Grade 10 cohort (n = 42; two intact classes) used VLEPIC for one month as a complement to regular lessons. Data were collected through questionnaires on perceived usability and motivation, platform usage logs, and open-ended feedback from students and the teacher; results were analysed descriptively and thematically and then integrated to inform design decisions. Students reported high perceived usability and strong motivational responses in attention, relevance, and satisfaction, while confidence was more heterogeneous. Usage logs indicated recurrent but uneven engagement, with distinct low-, medium-, and high-activity profiles. Qualitative feedback highlighted enjoyment and clarity alongside issues with progress tracking between missions, navigation on mobile devices, and task submission reliability. The main contribution is a set of empirically grounded, context-sensitive design principles linking concrete interface and task-design decisions to perceived usability, motivation, and real-world usage patterns in constrained school settings. Full article

This research explores the roles of perceived teacher support, L2 grit, and Foreign Language Enjoyment (FLE) in willingness to communicate (WTC) in English among Pakistani university students, thereby filling a contextual gap in Pakistani multilingual society. It utilized a quantitative cross-sectional design based on the WTC pyramid model by MacIntyre et al. and positive psychology. Adapted scales were used to gather data on 1050 multidisciplinary Pakistani English learners, who were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The main findings can be summarized as follows: (1) perceived teacher support had a small but significant direct effect on L2 WTC; (2) L2 grit had a strong and significant direct effect on L2 WTC; and (3) more importantly, FLE had a significant mediating effect. Indirectly, teacher support was the key factor in improving the L2 WTC, as evidenced by a significant increase in FLE. Though the impact of L2 grit was mostly direct, it was also indirect through FLE. This model explained 45.9 percent of the variation in L2 WTC. These findings highlight FLE, a favorable emotion, as the key channel through which environmental support (teacher support) and personal resilience (L2 grit) are translated into communicative willingness. The results confirm the inclusion of positive psychology into the multi-layered L2 WTC model, which emphasizes the importance of FLE in connecting cognition and emotion. This has important pedagogical implications for EFL/ESL contexts in Pakistan, where teachers should create engaging learning experiences, provide multidimensional support, and foster learners’ perseverance to enhance communicative interaction. Full article

Many studies have shown that flow, psychological capital (PsyCap), anxiety, and academic efficacy play significant roles in EFL learning, yet little attention has been paid to how these positive and negative states jointly shape learners’ PsyCap. Grounded in the broaden-and-build theory, this study investigated how flow, a state of deep engagement and enjoyment in learning, affected EFL learners’ PsyCap. A total of 1611 EFL learners at the CEFR B1–B2 levels from six universities in China participated in the study. Data were collected using validated questionnaires developed for this study that measured flow, foreign language classroom anxiety (FLCA), academic efficacy, and PsyCap, and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) in AMOS. The results revealed that flow had a significant direct positive effect on PsyCap (β = 0.648, p < 0.001). Academic efficacy significantly mediated this relationship (β = 0.059, p < 0.001), and a significant chain-mediated path was observed through FLCA and academic efficacy (β = 0.023, p < 0.001). The total effect of flow on PsyCap was 0.729 (p < 0.001). These findings provide new insights into educational practices that can effectively enhance EFL learners’ PsyCap and academic achievement by facilitating flow and reducing anxiety. Full article

This review examines the contemporary evidence on digital gamification’s effect on English as a foreign language (EFL) and English as a second language (ESL) classrooms’ outcome. The study focuses on vocabulary and other course-integrated skills in low-input contexts. We synthesise findings from education-wide meta-analyses and recent language-specific studies using a narrative approach organised by four questions on learning performance, classroom dynamics, student perceptions, and teacher practices. Across sources, gamification is associated with minor improvements in assessed performance, particularly in vocabulary and reading. Studies also frequently report gains in motivation and moment-to-moment classroom energy. These benefits are not uniform. Effects depend on element mixes, social format, pacing, and assessment timing, and they can taper with repeated use. Evidence on durability remains limited because immediate post-tests dominate and delayed outcomes are scarce. Most studies rely on perception surveys or platform logs rather than systematic observation. Students typically report enjoyment and usefulness with low to moderate anxiety, while teachers highlight the value of quick feedback and predictable routines alongside practical constraints such as preparation time, connectivity, class size, and tool fit. We propose minimum reporting standards that specify dose, element configuration, social design, assessment windows, reliability, inclusion context, and low-tech fallbacks. Better reporting and longer follow-ups are needed to separate short spikes from durable learning. Full article

In the field of second language acquisition, there is a growing recognition of the importance of emotional factors, particularly emotional intelligence (EI), in influencing learners’ willingness to communicate (WTC) in a second language (L2). However, previous studies have predominantly adopted a variable-centered approach, often overlooking individual heterogeneity and the mediating role of foreign language enjoyment (FLE) in the relationship between EI and WTC. To address these gaps, this study integrated variable-centered and person-centered approaches to examine 1111 students from Chinese private colleges, representing a distinct educational ecology. Questionnaires were used to measure EI, FLE, and L2 WTC, followed by mediation analysis and latent profile analysis (LPA). Results indicated that EI positively predicted WTC (β = 0.217, p < 0.001), with FLE partially mediating this relationship (indirect β = 0.135, p < 0.001), accounting for 38.3% of the total effect (β = 0.352, p < 0.001). LPA identified three learner profiles—“High EI–High Enjoyment,” “Moderate EI–Moderate Enjoyment,” and “Low EI–Low Enjoyment.” These profiles differed significantly in L2 WTC (p < 0.005), although the effect size was small (η² = 0.002). The findings revealed that learners with higher emotional intelligence and enjoyment tended to report greater willingness to communicate. However, the overall effect was small, suggesting that emotional factors may serve as facilitators rather than decisive determinants of L2 communication. Despite the modest magnitude of these differences, the pattern highlights subtle yet meaningful emotional dynamics underlying L2 communication behavior. By integrating person- and variable-centered perspectives, this study contributes methodological refinement and provides cautiously framed pedagogical implications for fostering emotional engagement and communicative willingness among diverse L2 learners. Full article

This study investigates how English learning burnout (ELB), academic buoyancy (AB), and foreign language enjoyment (FLE) jointly and independently influence the English academic achievement of Chinese senior high school students. Drawing on the Control-Value Theory of Achievement Emotions, data from 640 students were analyzed using both regression and fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA). Regression results indicated that intrinsic enjoyment of language learning was the strongest positive predictor of achievement, whereas exhaustion exerted a notable negative effect. The fsQCA results revealed five pathways to high achievement, such as the combination of high enjoyment and buoyancy with low burnout, which predicted success even without strong teacher support. Conversely, low buoyancy and enjoyment coupled with high burnout characterized underachievement. These findings enrich Control-Value Theory by highlighting asymmetry between the causes of success and failure, and they emphasize the importance of fostering both intrinsic enjoyment and resilience in exam-driven educational contexts. Practical strategies are suggested to help educators reduce negative states and promote sustainable learning engagement. Full article

The interplay among classroom environment, grit, and enjoyment in shaping the feedback-seeking behavior (FSB) of Chinese English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners remains underexplored. This study investigates how the classroom psychological environment and L2 grit influence FSB, categorized as feedback monitoring (FM, the passive observation of feedback) and feedback inquiry (FI, proactive requests for clarification), in the context of L2 writing. This study also focuses on the mediating role of foreign language enjoyment (FLE) in this process. A mixed-methods design was utilized to study 612 Chinese junior secondary students aged 13–15 with over five years of formal English instruction. Structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed that perseverance of effort (POE) and consistency of interest (COI), as two dimensions of L2 grit, directly predicted FM (β = 0.19 and 0.27, respectively) but not FI. The classroom environment indirectly enhanced both FM (β = 0.05) and FI (β = 0.09) through FLE. Qualitative interviews highlighted cultural constraints: 83.3% of participants prioritized FM over FI due to face-saving norms, despite high grit levels (M = 3.61 on a 5-point scale), underscoring cultural barriers to proactive feedback-seeking in Chinese collectivist classrooms. These findings validate the tripartite framework of positive psychology in L2 learning and propose strategies to balance institutional support, grit cultivation, and cultural sensitivity in fostering adaptive FSB. Full article

Over the last ten years, continuous attention has been paid to the use of digital games in vocabulary learning. Their effectiveness and availability have been widely discussed. However, the experiences of language learners and the underlying patterns of their engagement while using digital games for vocabulary learning remain underexplored. In order to fill this significant gap, this study aimed to examine the influential mechanism of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ flow experiences in digital game-based vocabulary learning (DGBVL). The sample consisted of 306 Chinese EFL learners who had DGBVL app usage experience, and data collection was based on a DGBVL flow experience instrument employed through an online platform. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to assess the reliability and validation of the existing scale for various DGBVL apps. A multi-group analysis was then conducted, revealing that the influential mechanism was a process in which the effects of antecedents on outcomes could be mediated by flow experiences. In addition, the role of usage frequency was also explored, and three paths were found to differ across three usage frequency levels (i.e., seldom, sometimes, and always): the effect of balance of skill and challenge on enjoyment, the effect of enjoyment on satisfaction, and the effect of perceived learning on satisfaction. These findings provide new insights for the influential mechanism of flow experiences and will assist EFL learners in optimizing their learning outcomes in digital game-based vocabulary learning. Full article

The academic study of work engagement among pre-service teachers during their practicum has been notably sparse, with even fewer investigations examining the influence of environmental stimuli on their engagement levels and the role of individual psychological and emotional factors throughout the practicum. To address this research gap, the present study, informed by the Stimulus–Organism–Response (SOR) theory, has developed a structural equation model. This model posits teacher support and peer support as stimuli, L2 grit and the foreign language teaching enjoyment as the organism, and the work engagement of pre-service teachers as the behavioral response. A quantitative survey was conducted among 516 preservice EFL teachers to examine the relationships among variables in the model. Findings showed direct predictions of work engagement by teacher support, L2 grit, and FLTE. L2 grit and FLTE sequentially mediated the relationship between teacher and peer support and work engagement. This study identified the factors influencing preservice EFL teachers’ work engagement, contributing to a deeper understanding of their psychological characteristics and emotional experiences during the teaching practicum. Additionally, the study offers practical implications for universities and internship schools to enhance preservice teachers’ work engagement during the practicum. Full article

As a critical component of second/foreign language learning, interpreting is both rewarding and highly anxiety-provoking. Yet, the review of the literature shows that studies on interpreting anxiety and other emotions are limited, and intervention studies on reducing interpreting anxiety and increasing confidence in interpreting are hardly available. This study employed a quasi-experimental design and explored the effects of technology-based practice on Chinese undergraduate English majors’ interpreting emotions and performance over a 12-week period. There were 44 students in the experimental group with technology-based practice and 46 were in the control group without technology-based practice from a university in Beijing. They took an interpreting test and answered an eight-item interpreting classroom anxiety scale, a nine-item interpreting classroom enjoyment scale, and a three-item interpreting self-efficacy scale prior to (phase 1) and after (phase 2) the intervention. The major findings were: (1) students in both groups became significantly less anxious and more joyful in the interpreting class, had significantly greater interpreting self-efficacy, and performed significantly better in the interpreting test in phase 2, (2) both groups started at a similar level in phase 1, and the experimental group reported a significantly lower interpreting classroom anxiety level, significantly greater interpreting self-efficacy, and higher interpreting test scores than the control group in phase 2, and (3) the learning modes significantly affected the participants’ interpreting classroom anxiety, self-efficacy, and performance. These findings indicate the effects of the intervention and hence enrich the current literature on interpreting emotions. The findings also highlight the importance of technology-based practice in enhancing students’ confidence, self-efficacy, and performance in interpreting, leading to sustainable development in interpreting competence. Full article

It is generally acknowledged that emotions play important roles in second/foreign language learning. Nevertheless, though interpreting is highly stressful, not much research on emotions has been conducted is this area. Hence, this research investigated foreign language anxiety and enjoyment in interpreting class and self-efficacy in learning interpreting among Chinese university majors of interpreting. Analyses of 67 mixed-form questionnaires revealed the following major findings: (a) More than half of the participants felt anxious in the interpreting class, (highly) enjoyed the interpreting class and had (great) self-efficacy in learning interpreting well; (b) Interpreting classroom anxiety, enjoyment and self-efficacy were significantly related to one another and students’ self-rated interpreting competence; (c) Interpreting classroom anxiety negatively predicted students’ self-rated Chinese–English interpreting competence, while social enjoyment positively predicted students’ self-rated English–Chinese interpreting competence; and (d) A number of factors were reported for students’ anxiety and enjoyment in interpreting class and self-efficacy in learning interpreting. Based on these findings, some implications were discussed. Full article

The second language acquisition (SLA) field has recently seen heightened interest in the study and application of positive psychology (PP). Emotion regulation is one of the concepts that has been stressed in PP. Several studies in PP have delved into how controlling one’s emotions improves second language learning/teaching. One of the concepts that has slipped the minds of researchers in the field is altruistic teaching. Unlike egocentric acts, altruistic teaching acts are performed to improve others’ well-being. Despite their importance in causing positive emotional effects, no study has investigated the impact of altruistic teaching acts on learners’ emotion regulation. To bridge this gap, the present study sought to investigate the effect of learners’ altruistic teaching on their emotion regulation. The study followed a sequential explanatory comparison group pre-test–post-test design. One hundred forty-one English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners were recruited for this intervention study and were divided into experimental and control groups. Learners in the experimental group performed altruistic teaching by teaching their peers how to write essays in English, whereas learners in the control group did group work tasks on English essay writing. The results of independent-sample t-tests and repeated-measures ANOVA showed that altruistic teaching significantly impacts EFL learners’ emotion regulation. The results of qualitative data pointed to five themes, including enjoyment, self-esteem, bonding, devotion, and progress. Overall, the results suggested that altruistic teaching impacts learners’ emotion regulation by enhancing their enjoyment, self-esteem, bonding, devotion, and progress. The paper has theoretical and pedagogical implications for SLA research and practice. Full article

This study examines university students’ foreign language enjoyment (FLE) in an online cooperative learning (CL) context and explores, taking a positive psychology approach, how and why CL may shape FLE. To this end, 98 Chinese university students studying English as a foreign language (EFL) were assigned into experimental (n = 49) and control groups (n = 49). Both groups completed a short-form foreign language enjoyment (FLE) scale before and after a 3-month intervention. The students in the experimental group were assigned with tasks that needed to be accomplished by teamwork. Moreover, each team was also requested to reflect upon their cooperation experiences and to self-assess their performance of these tasks. The results show that the overall FLE of the experimental group increased remarkably, whereas that of the control group fluctuated considerably. Furthermore, analyses of experimental group students’ self-appraisal comments revealed that students with pleasant cooperation experiences usually experience high FLE, give satisfactory marks on their performance, and feel confident about achieving better FL performance in the future. The findings and implications provide meaningful insights into how online FLE can be boosted through CL so as to promote positive mental health of students in a technology-assisted language learning (TALL) context. Full article