An Intervention Study Of Trait Emotional Intelligence In The EFL Speaking Class:A Positive Psychology Perspective

Positive psychology has attracted the interest of SLA scholars in recent years.Previous emotion-related SLA studies mainly explored the role of negative emotions in language learning.With the emergence of positive psychology in SLA,studies on positive emotions started to prosper.A great deal of research has supported the facilitative role of positive emotions in promoting L2 learning and learners’ well-being.However,due to the instability of emotions,it is a challenging task to promote L2 learning through eliciting learners’ positive emotions in the classroom.Trait emotional intelligence has been proven to be closely related to emotions.It is therefore possible to elicit L2 learners’ positive emotions through trait emotional intelligence training.However,trait emotional intelligence has been underexplored in the SLA research field.The present study aims to investigate the short-term and long-term effects of positive psychology-based trait emotional intelligence training activities in the classroom on students’ emotional well-being and English learning.The researcher compared changes in two groups of participants,one with trait emotional intelligence intervention practices and one without,in terms of self-perceived trait emotional intelligence levels,foreign language enjoyment levels,and speaking performances over time.A total of thirty non-English major freshmen from a university in Eastern China participated in the current research.They registered for two oral English classes and were randomly assigned to the experimental group and the control group respectively.Before the course started,students in both groups took a pre-test in speaking and completed the pre-intervention questionnaire.The questionnaire included four parts,that is,students’ demographic information,self-rated speaking ability,self-perceived trait emotional intelligence levels,and self-perceived foreign language enjoyment levels.Then,both groups took an eight-week English course.During the course,students in the experimental group received trait emotional intelligence training,which was intended to promote their trait emotional intelligence levels,enjoyment of the class,and L2 learning.Foreign language enjoyment motometers were used to obtain more detailed information about the development of emotional states of the students while taking English lessons.After the eight-week course,students from both groups took a post-test and completed the post-intervention questionnaire.Four students from the experimental group and three from the control group participated in two interviews.The first interview was conducted immediately after they had completed the postintervention questionnaire.The second interview was conducted one month after the first interview.Interview data were analyzed to provide an insight into the short-term and long-term effects of the trait emotional intelligence training activities in the EFL classroom.Results showed that after the eight-week course,students in the experimental group perceived themselves as more emotionally intelligent.In contrast,students in the control group perceived themselves as less emotionally intelligent.Participants from both groups reported higher foreign language enjoyment levels and self-rated speaking scores.Taking both quantitative and qualitative results into account,the effects of trait emotional intelligence intervention practices on promoting emotional well-being and English learning are confirmed.More specifically,the benefits of trait emotional intelligence training activities include more stable and positive emotional states while taking English classes,clearer English learning goals,and improved fluency as well as confidence in speaking English after the intervention.Unfortunately,participants of both groups reported that there was no substantial change in their oral English due to the limited time.Delayed interview data suggest that trait emotional intelligence training was helpful in sustaining the students’ interest in learning English.Implications for teachers and schools regarding the design and application of trait emotional intelligence training activities in English teaching practices are discussed.