The introduction of Positive Psychology in applied linguistics in 2012 started a first wave of studies on positive and negative emotions of foreign language learners in relatively peripheral journals. Since 2016, we witness an exponential increase in empirical research in more mainstream journals, focusing not just on learners but also on their teachers.
The present contribution offers an overview of a new area of research in the field of foreign language acquisition, which was triggered by the introduction of Positive Psychology (PP) in 2012. For many years research in applied linguistics had been dominated by a cognitive perspective. Around the turn of the millennium researchers became increasingly interested in the role of emotions in foreign language learning and teaching, beyond established concepts like foreign language anxiety and constructs like motivation and attitudes towards the foreign language. As a result, a more nuanced understanding of the role of positive and negative learner and teacher emotions emerged, underpinned by solid empirical research using a wide range of epistemological and methodological approaches. PP interventions have been carried out in schools and universities to strengthen learners and teachers’ experiences of flow, hope, courage, well-being, optimism, creativity, happiness, grit, resilience, strengths, and laughter with the aim of enhancing learners’ linguistic progress. We distinguish the early period in the field that started with MacIntyre and Gregersen (2012), like a snowdrop after winter, and that was followed by a number of early studies in relatively peripheral journals. We argue that 2016 is the starting point of the current period, characterized by gradual recognition in applied linguistics, growing popularity of PP and an exponential increase in publications in more mainstream journals. This second period could be compared to a luxuriant English garden in full bloom (Dewaele et al., 2019). References Dewaele, J.-M., Chen, X., Padilla, A.M. & Lake, J.(2019). The flowering of positive psychology in foreign language teaching and acquisition research. Frontiers in Psychology. Language Sciences doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02128 MacIntyre, P. D., & Gregersen, T. (2012). Emotions that facilitate language learning: The positive-broadening power of the imagination. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching,2 (2), 193-213.
