The DOI matches its Crossref record; 52 of the 52 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
The Power to Improve: Effects of Multilingualism and Perceived Proficiency on Enjoyment and Anxiety in Foreign Language Learning
Open accessAbstract
Abstract The study examines whether already knowing several languages and feeling proficient in a new foreign language (FL) has an effect on positive and negative emotions during the learning. The emergence of positive psychology in language acquisition studies has led to the examination of positive emotions in the FL learning process, such as Foreign Language Enjoyment (FLE). FLE is a positive emotional state where psychological needs are met and was introduced as the positive emotion counterpart to the oft studied negative emotion, Foreign Language Anxiety (FLA). A international sample of 1622 FL learners were analysed utilising multivariate tests of variance, examining the level of multilingualism and the level of self-perceived FL proficiency as independent variables, with FLE and FLA as dependent variables. Results indicated a very small, but statistically significant interaction effect between the level of multilingualism and self-perceived FL proficiency on the FLA of the language learner, but not on FLE. In addition, higher levels of multilingualism were associated with higher levels of enjoyment and lower levels of anxiety in FL learners. In turn, more self-perceived proficient FL learners indicated higher levels of enjoyment and lower levels of anxiety. Although effect sizes were in some cases very small, the results do indicate the benefits multilinguals and higher proficiency FL learners have when learning a FL.
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“Indeed, we have argued in previous publications that the relationship between FLE and FLA is most likely circular, as the lessening of anxiety can lead to greater enjoyment in the FL classroom, which in turn reduces anxiety (Botes et al., 2020a).”
From Taking stock: A meta-analysis of the effects of foreign language enjoyment (2022) · cites this paper as Botes et al., 2020a
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Metadata
- Authors
- Botes, E., Dewaele, J.-M., & Greiff, S.
- Affiliations
- University of Luxembourg (LU)
- University of London (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Botes, E’Louise
- Venue
- European Journal of Applied Linguistics
- Publisher
- Walter de Gruyter GmbH
- Published
- 2020-09-11
- Volume
- 8
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 279-306
- ISSN
- 2192-9521 (ISSN-L)
- 2192-953X
- OpenAlex
- W3088003724
- Cited by
- 126
- References
- 52
- Citations by year
- 2026: 13 · 2025: 37 · 2024: 28 · 2023: 23 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 2
- FWCI
- 55.87
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Locations
- European Journal of Applied Linguistics (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- BIROn (Birkbeck, University of London) (acceptedVersion)
- Open Repository and Bibliography (University of Luxembourg) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Funders
- Fonds National de la Recherche Luxembourg (PRIDE15/10921377/CALIDIE/Hu, 10921377)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Language and Linguistics › EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Second Language Acquisition and Learning
- Social Sciences › Linguistics and Language › Second Language Learning and Teaching
- Keywords
- multilingualism, self-perceived proficiency, foreign language enjoyment, foreign language anxiety, positive emotions, negative emotions, foreign language learning, psychological needs, positive psychology
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