Psychology of Language Learning and Teaching

This book brings together three decades of research to show that L1 skills and L2 aptitude are confounding variables in studies of language anxiety and that learners’ levels of anxiety for L2 learning are strongly related to their levels of language achievement. It holds the potential to change the ways in which we think about language anxiety.

This book delves into the captivating experiences of exceptionally motivated older adult language learners, examining the factors which generate and sustain motivation throughout a learner’s life. The narrative approach traces the motivational dynamics embedded in lifelong language learning and considers its impact on wellbeing in later years.

This book is devoted to the interdisciplinary investigation of language learner and teacher motivation, competencies, emotions and wellbeing, based on the theories behind mindsets. It includes a range of theoretical and empirical studies and is an invaluable resource for improving the quality of the language learning experience.

This book opens a narrative window into the experiences of learners who achieve nativelike proficiency and offers insights into their pathways to success. Tying together themes of motivation, cognition and identity, the authors explore how these learners became so successful and whether their success can be repeated by others.

This book focuses on the study abroad experiences of pre-service and in-service language teachers and language teacher educators, discussing their psychological experiences in cognitive, affective and social terms.

Through the application of self-determination theory (SDT) to research and practice, this book deepens our understanding of how autonomous language learning can be supported, developed and understood outside of the classroom. The chapters deal with learning environments and open spaces, communities and relationships, and dialogue and interaction.

This book presents original research on the effects of foreign language anxiety (FLA) on young language learners. It includes suggestions for alleviating FLA and encouraging foreign language enjoyment which will ultimately facilitate more effective language learning and support children’s psychosocial wellbeing.

This book provides an accessible account of teacher noticing, the process of attending to, interpreting and acting on events which occur during engagement with learners, in contexts of language teacher education. It presents an innovative study of task-based interaction and emphasizes the role of reflective practice in professional development.

This book unpacks data from conversations with non-native speaker EFL teachers to provide insights into the formation of ideal teacher selves. The author discusses the complexities surrounding the development of the teachers’ self and motivation, as well as their intertwinement with the sociopolitical realities of their individual contexts.

This book explores the psychology of teaching and learning a subject through a second or other language. It highlights the challenges and benefits of teaching and learning in integrated content and language settings and covers themes such as identity, self-concept, cognition, beliefs, well-being, interventions and professional development.

Through a mix of conceptual and empirical chapters, this book defines engagement for the field of language learning. It serves as an authoritative guide for anyone wishing to understand the unique insights engagement can give into language learning and teaching, or anyone conducting their own research on engagement within and beyond the classroom.

This book showcases the experiences of researchers conducting complexity research in situated educational contexts. The chapters present practical examples of how complexity research can be done, with convincing evidence of why a complexity perspective is useful for investigating and conceptualizing the psychology of language learners and teachers.

This book presents an in-depth look at a social language learning space within a university context. Drawing on the literature from identity in second language learning, communities of practice and learner beliefs, it demonstrates how psychological phenomena shape a space and how a learning space can contribute to a wider learning ecology.

This book presents empirical research which investigates directed motivational currents (DMCs) in the context of second language learning and motivation. The studies explore participants’ individual experiences of DMCs, and the practical implications of DMC theory for L2 pedagogy through the use of intensive group projects.

This book brings together critical approaches to identity and experience, with attention to the complexity of identity and interaction in and beyond the classroom, within language education. The chapters, written by professionals from a diverse array of backgrounds and contexts, have a particular focus on teacher education and classroom practice.

This book examines teachers and their psychology from a variety of theoretical and methodological perspectives. It covers well-established areas of teacher psychology plus areas that have only recently begun to be explored. The 19 chapters in this volume make a significant contribution to the emerging field of language teacher psychology.

This book focuses on the emotional complexity of language teaching and how the diverse emotions that teachers experience are shaped and function. The book covers a range of emotion-related topics on both positive and negative emotions, including emotional labour, burnout, emotion regulation, resilience, emotional intelligence and wellbeing.

This book focuses on the individual and collective beliefs of teachers. It discusses personal and collective dimensions of language teacher efficacy, discusses the ways in which efficacy beliefs develop, helps further understanding of factors that may influence teacher self-efficacy and suggests new directions for future research studies.

This book unites chapters from the leaders of the language learning motivation field and demonstrates how Gardner’s work is integral to a wide range of contemporary theoretical issues underlying the psychology of language. It deals with cutting-edge topics, providing a wealth of information for both students and established scholars.

This book uses rich visual data to investigate how multilinguals make sense of their use and knowledge of more than one language and to gain a better understanding of multilinguals and their lives. The topic is addressed as subjectively experienced and the book unites the current multilingual, narrative and visual turns in Applied Language Studies.