Researching and Practicing Positive Psychology in Second/Foreign Language Learning and Teaching: The Past, Current Status and Future Directions

Abstract

In addressing the recent special issue in Frontiers in Psychology, namely “Positive Psychology in Foreign and Second Language Education: Approaches and Applications,” calling language education researchers around the globe to study positive emotions, positive personality traits, and positive institutional tendencies and their implications for language education systems, stakeholders, and policy practices, the present conceptual review paper aims to acquaint language education researchers, practitioners, instructors, and learners with the main tenets of positive psychology and their application in second/foreign language (L2) education research. Accordingly, by drawing on the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions, we explain how individuals' positivity can result in their flourishment and development in any aspect of life, including L2 learning and teaching. Then, we introduce and conceptualize seven instances of positive psychology variables, namely academic engagement, emotion regulation, enjoyment, grit, loving pedagogy, resilience, and well-being and explain how these positive factors contribute to desirable L2 learning and teaching experiences. Subsequently, potential theoretical and pedagogical implications are drawn to enhance the quality and effectiveness of language education systems and their respective stakeholders. In the end, the limitations of the studies in this area are explicated, and suggestions for future research are provided to expand the extant literature on positive psychology in the domain of L2 education.

The Role of Teacher-Student Relatedness and Teachers' Engagement on Students' Engagement in EFL Classrooms

“…Obviously, EFL students need their teachers in many learning environments. A positive teacher-student relationship, motivation, attachment to school, cooperation in class activities, hard work in dealing with problems, friendly help and support, understanding of interpersonal behavior, and creating responsibility and freedom can be effective (Wang et al, 2021). In other words, EFL students who have a warm and intimate relationship with their teachers have high selfconfidence, interest in their teacher, more motivation to learn a positive attitude toward school, and enjoy the acceptance of their peers and classmates (Pishghadam et al, 2021a).…”

“…The review of literature has revealed that there is a link between academic engagement and context adjustment. The studies reveal that the quantity and quality of teacher-student interactions significantly predict the level of satisfaction or stress among EFL students (Al-Hoorie, 2016;Wang et al, 2021). They have shown that teacher-student relationships, especially interactions that focus on academic or intellectual content, affect students' academic performance and language ability.…”

Beginning EFL Teachers' Emotional Labor Strategies in the Chinese Context

“…Recent studies have indicated that teachers' emotional behavior, such as stroke and emotioncy, influences students' communicative competence (Pishghadam and Ebrahimi, 2020), learning motivation (Pishghadam et al, 2021a), willingness to attend classes (Pishghadam et al, 2021b), and emotions experienced in classes (Derakhshan et al, 2021). Among the topics related to teacher emotion studies (Wang et al, 2021) is emotional labor. The sociologist Hochschild (1983) originally conceptualized this term as "the management of feeling to create a publicly observable facial and bodily display" (p. 7).…”

A Review of the Effectiveness of Foreign Language Enjoyment and Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety on Learners' Engagement and Attainment

“…They further argued that positive psychology (PP) highlights the effects of happiness, wellbeing, and creativity on individuals (Oxford, 2016). Therefore, some studies were conducted on the concept of PP and its implications on people's occupation, education, and social lives (Wang et al, 2021). MacIntyre and Gregersen (2012) as well as Lake ( 2013) were among the pioneering scholars who emphasized the implementation of PP features in language teaching and learning.…”