Love and enjoyment in context: Four case studies of adolescent EFL learners

“In sum, then, the findings have revealed the social construction of positive emotions in language learning, confirming previous research such as Imai’s (2010), which has emphasized that “emotions .”

“Dewaele and MacIntyre (2014, 2016) highlight the role of the positive emotion of enjoyment by showing that anxiety can be experienced together with enjoyment in the foreign language classroom.”

“…research, inspired by positive psychology, has shifted its focus to positive emotions, shown to facilitate and enhance the language learning process (e.g., Dewaele & MacIntyre, 2014; MacIntyre & Gregersen, 2012a; Gregersen & MacIntyre, 2014; MacIntyre & Mercer, 2014; Oxford, 2014; Murphey, 2014).”

“Dewaele and MacIntyre (2014, 2016) highlighted the role of the positive emotion of enjoyment by showing that anxiety can be experienced together with enjoyment in the foreign language classroom.”

“The study draws on sociocultural theory, which views emotions as being socially mediated, and on previous research which has shown the relational nature of emotions (e.g., Imai, 2010; Mahn & John-Steiner, 2002; Swain, 2013).”

“…research, inspired by positive psychology, has shifted its focus to positive emotions, shown to facilitate and enhance the language learning process (e.g., Dewaele & MacIntyre, 2014; MacIntyre & Gregersen, 2012a; Gregersen & MacIntyre, 2014; MacIntyre & Mercer, 2014; Oxford, 2014; Murphey, 2014).”

“Although the findings about the role of love in L2 learning are in line with Reschly et al (2008), who found a link between positive emotions and engagement in the learning process, in the cases of Andrea and Addison, who experienced positive emotions of a more fleeting and less intensive kind,…”

“Recent research in psychology (e.g., Mesquita, 2010; Boiger & Mesquita, 2012) similarly stresses the social, contextualized nature of emotion, and Pavlenko (2005) argues that emotions are not only inner states but also relational processes.”

“This complex, multidimensional nature of emotions as subjective feelings and social phenomena has also been highlighted in psychology by Reeve (2009). Drawing on definitions of love in education and the social sciences, Barcelos and Coelho (2016) argued that love represents one of the most important emotions that can…”

“…investigation of the dynamic interactions between enjoyment and anxiety in the foreign language classroom in 12 to 18 year-old learners, Dewaele and Dewaele (2017) found that, over time, the teacher’s effect became a strong predictor of the positive emotion of enjoyment, but not of the…”

“…research, inspired by positive psychology, has shifted its focus to positive emotions, shown to facilitate and enhance the language learning process (e.g., Dewaele & MacIntyre, 2014; MacIntyre & Gregersen, 2012a; Gregersen & MacIntyre, 2014; MacIntyre & Mercer, 2014; Oxford, 2014; Murphey, 2014).”

“More specifically, given the power of school to create the context for various emotional experiences which can influence learning (Schutz & DeCuir, 2002), the aim of the present study is to gain insights into adolescent students’ English language learning emotions and into the ways in which…”

“As Oxford (2016) pointed out, studies focusing on positive emotions in language learning tended to lack contextualization.”

“The study draws on sociocultural theory, which views emotions as being socially mediated, and on previous research which has shown the relational nature of emotions (e.g., Imai, 2010; Mahn & John-Steiner, 2002; Swain, 2013).”

“The study draws on sociocultural theory, which views emotions as being socially mediated, and on previous research which has shown the relational nature of emotions (e.g., Imai, 2010; Mahn & John-Steiner, 2002; Swain, 2013).”

“The findings have emphasized the “positivebroadening” (see MacIntyre & Gregersen, 2012a; Gregersen & MacIntyre, 2014) power of love in teenagers’ language learning process, namely its power to facilitate learning when there was a perceived lack of enjoyment of certain classroom tasks or to broaden cognitive resources…”

“…roles) which include an individual’s appraisal of the situation and which are interpreted as passions rather than as actions” (Averill, 1982, p. 6), play a crucial role in language learning (e.g., Dewaele, 2011; Dewaele, 2015; Murphy & Dörnyei, 2010; Garrett & Young, 2009; Swain, 2013; Imai, 2010).”

“…is an established body of research on negative emotions such as language learning anxiety (e.g. Horwitz et al.,1986; Gknou, Daubney & Dewaele, 2017; Gregersen, 2005; Gregersen & MacIntyre, 2014; Oxford, 1999; Marcos-Llinás & Juan Garau, 2009; Tóth, 2011), it is only recently that SLA research,…”

“Language learning histories were included in the study since “writing language learning histories gives learners the opportunity to describe their own language learning experiences and express their feelings about those experiences” (Oxford, 1995, p. 581).”

“While there is an established body of research on negative emotions such as language learning anxiety (e.g., Gkonou, Daubney, & Dewaele, 2017; Gregersen, 2005; Gregersen & MacIntyre, 2014; Horwitz, Horwitz, & Cope, 1986; Marcos-Llinás & Juan Garau, 2009; Oxford, 1999; Tóth, 2011), it is only recently that SLA research…”

“The study has shown that learners are holistic individuals whose emotional universes are highly rich and complex, raising awareness that “what we see are fragments and only a partial description of the bigger picture” (Mercer, 2011a, p. 74).”

“…are linked to their interests, teachers should find effective ways to bridge the gap between students’ in-school and out-of-school learning (see Pitkänen-Huhta & Nikula, 2013) to enhance learners’ positive emotions and what Oxford (2014) calls “meaningful engagement” in the learning process.”

“…are linked to their interests, teachers should find effective ways to bridge the gap between students’ in-school and out-of-school learning (see Pitkänen-Huhta & Nikula, 2013) to enhance learners’ positive emotions and what Oxford (2014) calls “meaningful engagement” in the learning process.”

“…research, inspired by positive psychology, has shifted its focus to positive emotions, shown to facilitate and enhance the language learning process (e.g., Dewaele & MacIntyre, 2014; MacIntyre & Gregersen, 2012a; Gregersen & MacIntyre, 2014; MacIntyre & Mercer, 2014; Oxford, 2014; Murphey, 2014).”

“Focusing on positive emotions as experienced by the learner, Lake (2016) discussed “passion” for L2 learning, defined it as “a strong inclination toward activities that are liked or loved” (p. 241), and argued that it was one of the three elements of the positive L2 self, together with interest and…”

“…roles) which include an individual’s appraisal of the situation and which are interpreted as passions rather than as actions” (Averill, 1982, p. 6), play a crucial role in language learning (e.g., Dewaele, 2011; Dewaele, 2015; Murphy & Dörnyei, 2010; Garrett & Young, 2009; Swain, 2013; Imai, 2010).”

“Lesson observations were used since “for the majority of foreign language learners, the classroom is the primary site for learning” (Lamb, 2013, p. 38), and “researchers may be able to gain an understanding of some behaviors only through observation: (…) participants themselves may not be aware of…”

“A loving instructor has this ability to strengthen students’ functioning and potentials Love can also potentially create effective coping mechanisms, motivate learners, and be the driving force in language learning (Pavelescu and Petrić, 2018).”

“, Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi, 2000) namely positive emotions and positive character traits have bloomed. Variables such as empathy, selves, flow, perseverance, motivation, engagement, perseverance, love, and passion have attracted widespread attention. One vibrant area that has expanded geographically and methodolo…”

“Interest moved beyond foreign language (classroom) anxiety to include a wider spectrum of emotions including enjoyment, love, pride, hope, shame, guilt, and boredom (e.g. MacIntyre et al., 2019; Pavelescu & Petrić, 2018; Teimouri, 2018).”