Taking stock: A meta-analysis of the effects of foreign language enjoyment

Abstract

Studies examining the positive emotion of foreign language enjoyment (FLE) have recently increased exponentially, as researchers are applying the tenets of positive psychology in applied linguistics. It is therefore an appropriate time to take stock of the current literature and conduct a preliminary meta-analysis. The relationships between FLE and four variables, namely, foreign language anxiety (FLA), willingness to communicate (WTC), academic achievement, and self-perceived achievement were examined. A total of k = 96 effect sizes were analyzed with an overall sample size of N = 28,166 in random-effects models with correlation coefficients. There was a moderate negative correlation between FLE and FLA. In turn, moderate positive correlations were found between FLE and WTC, FLE and academic achievement, and FLE and self-perceived achievement. These positive associations confirm the value of FLE in FL learning and further affirm the need for researchers to examine positive psychology constructs in the foreign language classroom.

Relationship Between Growth Mindset and English Language Performance Among Chinese EFL University Students: The Mediating Roles of Grit and Foreign Language Enjoyment

“…Finally, FL enjoyment was found to be positively associated with ELP, which implied that learners who enjoyed learning English would be able to achieve higher learning gains. This result was in line with the prior research reporting that there existed a positive correlation between FL enjoyment and FL achievements among Chinese middle school students (Wei et al, 2019 ), high school students (Jin and Zhang, 2018 ; Li, 2019 ; Liu and Wang, 2021 ), and university students (Zhang et al, 2020 ; Guo, 2021 ), Korean students (Lee, 2020 ), in other international contexts (Dewaele and MacIntyre, 2014 ; Dewaele and Alfawzan, 2018 ), and in the recent meta-analysis (Botes et al, in press ). Based on the broaden-and-build theory (Fredrickson, 2001 ), when students enjoy learning a foreign language, their horizons of thought are expanded, and they tend to apply various learning strategies, which promotes language learning efficiency (Jin and Zhang, 2018 ).…”

“…According to Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi ( 2000 ), positive emotion is one of the foundations of positive psychology. Among the several positive emotions, one aspect that has recently come to the forefront in FL learning is FL enjoyment (MacIntyre et al, 2019 ; Dewaele and Li, 2020 ; Botes et al, in press ). Dewaele and MacIntyre ( 2016 ) conceptualized enjoyment as a “complex emotion, capturing interacting dimensions of challenge and perceived ability that reflect the human drive for success in the face of difficult tasks” (p. 217).…”

“…Jin and Zhang ( 2018 ) and Guo ( 2021 ) also found that FL enjoyment was linked to Chinese EFL learners' academic success. More recently, Botes et al ( in press )'s meta-analysis revealed a moderate positive relationship between FL enjoyment and WTC, and FL enjoyment and academic performance in the FL. From the above discussion, this study proposed that FL enjoyment could act as a mediating variable between growth mindset and ELP.…”

“…A growing body of research has recently focused on the vital link between learning enjoyment and learners' wellbeing. This interest has also edged into FL learning since the advent of positive psychology in SLA (Guo, 2021 ; Botes et al, in press ). Enjoyment can be described as “a sense of novelty and accomplishment” (Csikszentmihalyi, 2008 , p. 46).…”

Is Flow Possible in the Emergency Remote Teaching Foreign Language Classroom?

“…The fear was that the sole reliance on online teaching would dampen learners' positive emotions and exacerbate their negative emotions, affecting their learning and coping strategies [5]. Recent research on learner emotions has indeed shown that positive emotions are moderate positive predictors of foreign language (FL) performance, while negative emotions are negative predictors [6,7]. Learners' emotions have been found to be dulled in ERT classes compared to in-person classes.…”