Our blog post reports on a systematic scoping review that addresses the influence of positive psychology on second and foreign language acquisition and learning. Emotions significantly impact language learning (Aydin, 2020), but prior research has primarily concentrated on negative emotions, overlooking positive ones (Dewaele & MacIntyre, 2014). On the other hand, positive psychology has gained prominence in language learning over the past two decades (Dewaele et al., 2019). Despite this shift, the connection between positive psychology and language learning has been underexplored until recent years.
‘Emotions significantly impact language learning, but prior research has primarily concentrated on negative emotions, overlooking positive ones.’
In this blog we highlight findings from a systematic scoping review of the relationship between positive psychology and language acquisition, focusing on the effects of wellbeing on linguistic performance. We examine two distinct periods in relation to language education: the first, from 2012, saw limited research on learner wellbeing; while the second, post-2014, witnessed a surge in studies recognising positive psychology in language education (Dewaele et al., 2019).
Our research question, ‘Does the use of elements of positive psychology contribute to the second language acquisition and foreign learning processes?’, probes to what extent incorporating positive psychology elements aids language acquisition and learning processes. The study fills a gap in understanding the potential benefits of positive psychology in language education and contributes to optimising language learning environments.
