ERIC Number: EJ1347348
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: EISSN-1305-578X
Available Date: N/A
The Emotional Experience of Learning English as a Foreign Language: A Qualitative Study in the Context of Saudi Arabia
Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, v18 n2 p845-859 2022
Foreign language acquisition is not only a cognitive but also an emotional process. Recently, numerous qualitative studies have deepened our understanding of the emotional worlds of EFL students, showing the diversity of emotions and their influence on EFL. In Saudi Arabia, EFL has posed significant challenges (e.g. lack of motivation for studying, negative emotions associated with EFL) to all actors involved, and studying emotional experiences of Saudi EFL students can help us surpass these challenges. This pilot qualitative study aimed to give a phenomenological description of emotions experienced by Saudi EFL students. Inductive Thematic Analysis yielded four main themes: kinds of emotions, motivation dynamics, English learning trajectory, and quality of the encounter. Significant variability and diversity of emotional experiences was evident -- participants mainly felt happy and motivated by their extracurricular English activities, while they were more ambiguous with respect to their English teachers. It was also found that initial EFL experiences were more negative compared to the latter ones.
Descriptors: Emotional Experience, English (Second Language), Second Language Learning, Foreign Countries, Psychological Patterns, Student Motivation, Community Colleges, Two Year College Students, Student Attitudes
Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies. Hacettepe Universitesi, Egitim Fakultesi B Blok, Yabanci Diller Egitimi Bolumu, Ingiliz Dili Egitimi Anabilim Dali, Ankara 06800, Turkey. e-mail: jllsturkey@gmail.com; Web site: http://www.jlls.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education; Two Year Colleges
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Language: English
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Identifiers - Location: Saudi Arabia
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