Emotions that facilitate language learning: The positive-broadening power of the imagination

By P. Macintyre, T. Gregersen. 2012

821 citations recorded by the source corpus.

The imagination is powerful, in part, because of the emotions that can be activated by imagining future states. Imagined future states are a key feature of the L2 self-system proposed by Dƅrnyei, and emotion may be the key to the motivational quality of the imagined future self. In particular, this paper focuses on positive anticipated and anticipatory emotions related to language learning. It is argued that, in general, positive emotion has a different function from negative emotion; they are not opposite ends of the same spectrum. Based on the work of Fredrickson, we argue that positive emotion facilitates the building of resources because positive emotion tends to broaden a person’s perspective, opening the individual to absorb the language. In contrast, negative emotion produces the opposite tendency, a narrowing of focus and a restriction of the range of potential language input. This article draws a framework for finding a balance between the positivebroadening and negative-narrowing emotions in the language classroom, and beyond. The emotion system is an engine for the positive-broadening power of the imagination.

Subfields: Experimental and Cognitive Psychology, Language and Linguistics, Social Psychology

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/ec2325364008e1416e216ae916035b96fc189243

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Citations in the corpus

ACADEMIC BUOYANCY (2018, background): “Research on the relationship between language anxiety and language achievement indicates a negative relationship (Gregersen & MacIntyre, 2014; MacIntyre & Gregersen, 2012): With few exceptions, elevated levels of anxiety result in lower performance and language achievement.”
Future selves, enjoyment and anxiety as predictors of L2 writing achievement (2021, background): “The connection between the pursuit of future L2 selves and corresponding emotional reactions arguably creates the motivational power of L2 selves (MacIntyre & Gregersen, 2012; Teimouri, 2017).”
Willingness to communicate in the L2 about meaningful photos: Application of the pyramid model of WTC (2021, background): “Emotion theory suggests that negative emotions restrict attention and positive emotions broaden one’s thoughts and action repertoire (Fredrickson, 2013; MacIntyre & Gregersen, 2012).”
Researching and Practicing Positive Psychology in Second/Foreign Language Learning and Teaching: The Past, Current Status and Future Directions (2021, background): “However, it was not until rather recently that, following the emergence and rapid flowering of positive psychology in general education, an explicit positive renaissance happened in the domain of language education (MacIntyre and Gregersen, 2012; Lake, 2013).”
Enjoyment and anxiety in second language communication: An idiodynamic approach (2018, background): “With the SLA literature showing such a heavy focus on language anxiety, the role of positive emotions in language learning has received little attention until recently (Arnold, 2009; MacIntyre & Gregersen, 2012).”
Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety of Arab learners of English: The effect of personality, linguistic and sociobiographical variables (2015, background): “All this leads learners to waste precious cognitive energy, disrupting information processing, and as a result hindering FL performance and acquisition (MacIntyre & Gregersen, 2012).”
ROLE OF THE EMOTIONS AND CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT IN WILLINGNESS TO COMMUNICATE (2017, background): “Moreover, with the introduction of positive psychology in SLA, a call has been made to better understand specifically the role of positive emotions in promoting and facilitating language development (MacIntyre & Gregersen, 2012).”
The Predictive Power of Multicultural Personality Traits, Learner and Teacher Variables on Foreign Language Enjoyment and Anxiety (2019, background): “The recent expansion of knowledge concerning positive emotions has been driven by the introduction of positive psychology in applied linguistics (Dewaele & MacIntyre, 2014; MacIntyre & Gregersen, 2012a, b; MacIntyre & Mercer, 2014).”
Teacher enthusiasm and students’ social-behavioral learning engagement: The mediating role of student enjoyment and boredom in Chinese EFL classes (2021, background): “In SLA terms, it is argued that learners experiencing positive emotions will absorb more input and will build more resources for further language learning.”
The link between Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety, Second Language Tolerance of Ambiguity and Self-rated English proficiency among Chinese learners (2013, background): “Teachers can lower FLCA by establishing a positive emotional atmosphere in the classroom (Arnold & Fonseca, 2007; MacIntyre & Gregersen, 2012b).”
A Positive Psychology perspective on Chinese EFL students’ trait emotional intelligence, foreign language enjoyment and EFL learning achievement (2019, background): “Theoretically, the findings obtained instantiate the underpinning theoretical assumptions of Positive Psychology in the specific Chinese EFL learning context.”
Informal digital learning of English and L2 willingness to communicate: roles of emotions, gender, and educational stage (2021, background): “…their enduring cognitive and psychological resources, ‘ the ﬂ owering of positive psychology ’ (Dewaele et al. 2019, 1) in L2 learning and teaching has encouraged scholars to shift their long-established focus from negative L2 emotions to positive ones (also see MacIntyre and Gregersen 2012).”