Setting an Agenda for Positive Psychology in SLA: Theory, Practice, and Research

MacIntyre, Peter D.; Gregersen, Tammy; Mercer, Sarah

doi:10.1111/modl.12544

Cited by 327 publications

(290 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…Their work highlighted the importance of PP theories for language teaching, learning, and communication, and identified promising trends such as the move toward studying positive emotional states (e.g., love, enjoyment, and flow) and learner strengths (e.g., courage, empathy, and hardiness) in SLA. They also addressed and proposed solutions for criticisms of PP that also occurred in L2 contexts (e.g., measurement issues and over-reliance on cross-sectional data; MacIntyre et al, 2016MacIntyre et al, , 2019.…”

Section: Pp and Emotions In Sla Pp Constructs In Slamentioning

confidence: 99%

Emotions and Instructed Language Learning: Proposing a Second Language Emotions and Positive Psychology Model

et al. 2020

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Although emotion research and positive psychology (PP) have recently gained strong momentum in the field of second language acquisition (SLA), theoretical models linking language emotion and PP research, which offer insights for both research and intervention practice are lacking. To address this gap, the present article first introduces the origin, concept, and research around PP. Next, it summarizes recent research on PP and emotions in SLA. Finally, by triangulating emotion theories and research in the fields of psychology, education, and SLA, we propose a new model, which merges the three pillars of PP (positive institutions, positive characteristics, and positive emotions) with the antecedents, outcomes, and interventions of second language (L2) emotions (the L2EPP model). The value of the model to L2 pedagogy and research is highlighted in the context of the importance of integrating PP into the area of emotions and instructed SLA.

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Section: Pp and Emotions In Sla Pp Constructs In Slamentioning

confidence: 99%

Emotions and Instructed Language Learning: Proposing a Second Language Emotions and Positive Psychology Model

et al. 2020

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“…MacIntyre et al (2019a) set out an ambitious agenda for PP in applied linguistic research and sought to allay fears that PP focused exclusively on the positive. Their first point is that PP can strengthen the field by encouraging researchers to acknowledge that there are interactions between positive and negative phenomena and that equating the positive to “good/motivated/successful” and negative to “bad/unmotivated/unsuccessful” is simplistic as “language learners’ and teachers’ emotional and psychological experiences are complex and often conflicted” (p. 269).…”

Section: Positive Psychology In Applied Linguisticsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Flowering of Positive Psychology in Foreign Language Teaching and Acquisition Research

et al. 2019

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The present contribution offers an overview of a new area of research in the field of foreign language acquisition, which was triggered by the introduction of Positive Psychology (PP) (MacIntyre and Gregersen, 2012). For many years, a cognitive perspective had dominated research in applied linguistics. Around the turn of the millennium researchers became increasingly interested in the role of emotions in foreign language learning and teaching, beyond established concepts like foreign language anxiety and constructs like motivation and attitudes toward the foreign language. As a result, a more nuanced understanding of the role of positive and negative learner and teacher emotions emerged, underpinned by solid empirical research using a wide range of epistemological and methodological approaches. PP interventions have been carried out in schools and universities to strengthen learners and teachers’ experiences of flow, hope, courage, well-being, optimism, creativity, happiness, grit, resilience, strengths, and laughter with the aim of enhancing learners’ linguistic progress. This paper distinguishes the early period in the field that started with MacIntyre and Gregersen (2012), like a snowdrop after winter, and that was followed by a number of early studies in relatively peripheral journals. We argue that 2016 is the starting point of the current period, characterized by gradual recognition in applied linguistics, growing popularity of PP, and an exponential increase in publications in more mainstream journals. This second period could be compared to a luxuriant English garden in full bloom.

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“…A more holistic approach to learners' emotions has led to the inclusion of positive emotions in research designs, complementing earlier SLA research that focused exclusively on negative emotions in SLA (Dewaele and MacIntyre 2014;Gkonou, Daubney and Dewaele 2017;MacIntyre and Mercer 2014). The introduction of principles of Positive Psychology into SLA research played a crucial part in this context (Dewaele and Li 2018;Dewaele et al to appear;MacIntyre 2016;MacIntyre et al 2019). The basic tenets of Positive Psychology are that researchers should not just focus on what goes wrong in life but also on things that go well, hence an interest in happiness and not just depression, for example.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

How distinctive is the foreign language enjoyment and foreign language classroom anxiety of Kazakh learners of Turkish?

Dewaele

Özdemir

Karci

et al. 2019

Applied Linguistics Review

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The present study focuses on foreign language enjoyment (FLE) and foreign language classroom anxiety (FLCA) of 592 learners of Turkish as a foreign language (FL) in Kazakhstan. Mean levels of FLE and FLCA were found to be similar to previous studies in different settings with different target languages. In contrast with previous literature, a weak positive correlation was found between FLE and FLCA and the gender effect went in the opposite direction, with male participants reporting more FLCA than female participants. Multiple regression analyses revealed that FLE and FLCA were more strongly predicted by learners’ attitude toward Turkish and teacher-related variables than by learner-internal variables, confirming previous research outside Kazakhstan. Attitude toward the FL, teacher’s friendliness, strictness and frequency of use of the FL, attitude toward the teacher, participant’s age and FL exam result explained a total of 25% of variance in FLE. Differing slightly from previous studies, FLCA was found to be only weakly predicted (6% of variance) by some learner-internal variables (FL exam result, attitude toward the FL) as well as teacher-centred variables (friendliness, strictness). The findings suggest that variation in FLE and FLCA among Kazakh learners of Turkish is quite similar to that established in other contexts.

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Setting an Agenda for Positive Psychology in SLA: Theory, Practice, and Research

Cited by 327 publications

References 58 publications

Emotions and Instructed Language Learning: Proposing a Second Language Emotions and Positive Psychology Model

Emotions and Instructed Language Learning: Proposing a Second Language Emotions and Positive Psychology Model

The Flowering of Positive Psychology in Foreign Language Teaching and Acquisition Research

How distinctive is the foreign language enjoyment and foreign language classroom anxiety of Kazakh learners of Turkish?

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