Our study investigates the interrelationships of emotions and motivation of secondary school EFL learners in Hungary. It seems that students are motivated and experience positive emotions in the EFL classroom; the role of pride and hope appear to be decisive for both motivated learning behavior and students’ ideal L2 selves.
Despite the fact that L2 motivation has been thoroughly researched in the past decades (Dörnyei & Ushioda, 2011), there are very few studies mapping the role of emotions in motivational processes in language learning. Therefore, the aim of the research presented in this talk is to investigate the interrelationships of emotions and motivation of secondary school English as a Foreign Language students in Hungary. In order to fulfill this aim, we conducted a nationwide study with the help of a questionnaire designed and standardized for the purpose of the present study. In the questionnaire, we measured the components of the L2 motivational Self System (Dörnyei, 2005, 2009), a number of positive and negative emotions (Pekrun, 2006), students' autonomous learning behavior (Benson, 2013) and their contact experiences (Kormos & Csizér, 2014). Data was collected from six secondary schools around the country (N = 1152). We analyzed our data with the help of descriptive and inferential statistics. The results show that students are generally motivated and experience a number of positive emotions in the classroom. In terms of the relationships between motivational processes and emotions, the role of pride and hope seem to be decisive for both motivated learning behavior and students' ideal L2 selves as well as contact experiences and autonomy. Both negative and positive emotions show significant correlations with foreign language learning experience. Students' ought-to L2 selves do not seem to relate to emotions. Based on our results, we will offer a number of pedagogical implications.
