This study investigates the impact of positive psychology factors on English as a foreign language (EFL) learners' second language (L2) speaking proficiency. Specifically, it examines the predictive roles of foreign language speaking enjoyment, the ideal L2 speaking self, and L2 speaking grit on L2 speaking proficiency. Data were collected from…

The contributions of positive psychology (PP) to the study of second and foreign language (L2) emotions have received considerable scholarly attention in recent years. In response to the criticism that it adopted a limited viewpoint, PP has broadened its perspective. Existential positive psychology (EPP) is a branch of PP that can address prior…

The belief that abilities can be cultivated, commonly referred to as a growth mindset, plays an important role in learners' motivation and persistence in their educational journey, including learning a new language. Recent research suggests that having a growth mindset alone is insufficient for educational success. Rather, the "seed" of…

Drawing on theories of interpersonal emotion transfer (Parkinson, 2020) and the control-value theory of achievement emotions (Pekrun, 2006), the present research employed a mixed-methods approach to examine how emotions are transmitted among peers in foreign language (FL) classrooms. We collected quantitative data from 308 freshmen using…

An expanding literature has explored the impact of second language (L2) self-concept on language achievement and motivation. This review adopts a psychological lens to examine L2 self-concept, beginning with an outline of prominent theoretical frameworks: situated expectancy-value theory; Shavelson et al.'s (1976) hierarchical, multidimensional…

In a dynamic system, time-dependent links "between" affective factors can provide more information than the level of response "within" a single isolated system. In the present study, influenced by the positive psychology movement and the complex dynamic systems theory in the domain of second language acquisition, first, we…

While perennial in the research landscape, empirical work investigating second language (L2) study emotions has proliferated in the past ten years (Dewaele, 2019). Nevertheless, this article argues there is space for more holistic yet detailed, social yet individual perspectives when conducting such research. As one avenue, the paper explores the…

Research on learners' foreign language emotions has revealed the existence of a positive feedback loop where increased enjoyment leads to better performance which, in turn, strengthens learners' enjoyment and boosts overall happiness. The current study follows this avenue focusing on teachers' foreign language teaching enjoyment (FLTE) and its…

The current research aimed to examine the relationships among three key aspects of the language learning process, namely, foreign language boredom (FLB), English language engagement (ELE), and academic buoyancy (AB), utilizing data collected from 2,992 Chinese language learners. In order to strengthen the accuracy and robustness of the results, we…

Despite the growing recognition of the impact of affective factors on second/foreign language (L2) learning, there remains a paucity of knowledge regarding academic burnout in L2 learning. Moreover, the intricate interplay between L2 burnout, maladaptive emotion regulation strategies, and negative L2 emotions remains inadequately explored. Given…

Recent evidence suggests that Chinese foreign language (FL) learners' positive emotional experiences are conveyed not only by the prevalent emotion of foreign language enjoyment (FLE), but also by the culture-specific emotion of foreign language peace of mind (FLPOM) which describes an inner state of peace and harmony. This study seeks to…

This study aimed to develop and validate two parallel scales to measure the psychological L2 speaking and listening needs of 863 English-as-a-foreign language (EFL) learners. The associations between three psychological needs (i.e., autonomy, competence, and relatedness) of L2 speaking and of L2 listening were examined to develop insights into…