Exploring Emotions in Language Teaching

Abstract

Emotions are an important part of the experiences of both language teachers and language learners, however their role has often been marginalized as a result of the focus on cognitive rather than affective dimensions of language learning within the discipline of Second Language Acquisition. The ‘affective turn’ in applied linguistics has refocussed on how teachers’ and learners’ emotions influence how they manage teaching and learning. This survey article explores the kinds of emotions teachers and learners experience, the causes of these emotions, and the impact they can have on teaching and learning. Theory and research is reviewed relating to emotions and the teacher, emotions and the language learner, and emotions in teacher development. Suggestions are given as to how teachers and learners can develop emotional competence, that is, the ability to understand and productively manage emotions in language learning and teaching.