This article begins with an outline of the developments in Positive Psychology (PP) generally and specifically within SLA focusing on theoretical, empirical and practical developments. It moves on to consider PP’s potential contribution to language teaching focusing on how it can help promote emotional, social and psychological wellbeing for language learners and teachers. It explores the concept of ‘Positive Education’ and reflects on possible lessons from these broader developments for a specific approach to ‘Positive Language Education’. It is argued that PP facilitates new ways of thinking about language learning and can provide the ideal vehicle from which to foreground wellbeing as a concept and dual aim in language education.
American Psychological Association. (2014, February). Stress in America: Are teens adopting adults’ stress habits? Retrieved from [URL]
Arnold, J. (Ed.). (1999). Affect in language learning. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Arnold, J., & Murphey, T. (2013). Meaningful action: Earl Stevick’s influence on language teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Aubrey, S. (2016). Inter-cultural contact and flow in a task-based Japanese EFL classroom. Language Teaching Research, 1–18.
Barcelos, A. M. F., & Coelho, H. S. H. (2016). Language learning and teaching: What’s love got to do with it? In P. D. MacIntyre, T. Gregersen, & S. Mercer (Eds.), Positive Psychology in SLA (pp. 130–144). Bristol: Multilingual Matters.
Benesch, S. (2012). Considering emotions in critical English language teaching: Theories and praxis. New York: Routledge.
Cambridge University Press. (2017). Cambridge learning journey. Retrieved from [URL]
Coyle, D., Hood, P., & Marsh, D. (2010). CLIL: Content and Language Integrated Learning. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Czimmermann, E., & Piniel, K. (2016). Advanced language learners’ experiences of flow in the Hungarian EFL classroom. In P. D. MacIntyre, T. Gregersen & S. Mercer (Eds.), Positive Psychology in SLA (pp. 193–214). Bristol: Multilingual Matters.
De Andrés, V., & Arnold, J. (2009). Seeds of confidence: Self-esteem activities for the EFL classroom. Innsbruck: Helbling.
Dewaele, J. (2010). Emotions in multiple languages. Basingstoke: Palgrave.
Dewaele, J., & MacIntyre, P. D. (2016). Foreign language enjoyment and foreign language classroom anxiety: The right and left feet of the language learner. In P. D. MacIntyre, T. Gregersen, & S. Mercer (Eds.), Positive Psychology in SLA (pp. 215–236). Bristol: Multilingual Matters.
Dörnyei, Z., & Ryan, S. (2015). The psychology of the language learner revisited. New York: Routledge.
Flinders University & The University of Sydney. (n.d.). About the FL2 project. Retrieved from [URL]
Fresacher, C. (2016). Why and how to use Positive Psychology activities in the second language classroom. In P. D. MacIntyre, T. Gregersen, & S. Mercer (Eds.), Positive Psychology in SLA (pp. 305–323). Bristol: Multilingual Matters.
Fritz-Schubert, E. (2008). Schulfach Glück: Wie ein neues Fach die Schule verändert. Freiburg im Breisgau: Herder.
Gabryś-Barker, D., & Bielska, J. (Eds.) (2013). The affective dimension in second language acquisition. Bristol: Multilingual Matters.
Gabryś-Barker, D., & Galajda, D. (Eds.). (2016). Positive Psychology perspectives on foreign language learning and teaching. Cham: Springer.
Gkonou, C., & Mercer, S. (2017). Understanding emotional and social intelligence among English language teachers. London: British Council.
Gkonou, C., Tatzl, D., & Mercer, S. (2016). Conclusion. In C. Gkonou, D. Tatzl & S. Mercer. (Eds.), New directions in language learning psychology (pp. 249–255). Cham: Springer.
Gregersen, T., & MacIntyre, P. D. (in press). Signature strengths as a gateway to mentoring: Facilitating emergent teachers’ transition into language teaching. In S. Mercer & A. Kostoulas (Eds.), Teacher psychology in SLA. Bristol: Multilingual Matters.
Gregersen, T., MacIntyre, P. D., Finegan, K. H., Talbot, K., & Claman, S. (2014). Examining emotional intelligence within the context of Positive Psychology interventions. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, 4(2), 327–353.
Gregersen, T., & Mercer, S. (in preparation). Developing critical dispositions in language educators.
Hadfield, J. (1992). Classroom dynamics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Helgesen, M. (2016). Happiness in ESL/EFL: Bringing Positive Psychology to the classroom. In P. D. MacIntyre, T. Gregersen & S. Mercer (Eds.), Positive Psychology in second language acquisition (pp. 344–358). Bristol: Multilingual Matters.
Helgesen, M. (2017). English teaching and the science of happiness: Positive Psychology communication activities for language learners. Tokyo: ABAX ELT.
Hiver, P. (in press). Teachstrong: The power of teacher resilience for L2 practitioners. In S. Mercer & A. Kostoulas (Eds.), Teacher psychology in SLA. Bristol: Multilingual Matters.
Hiver, P. (2016). The triumph over experience: Hope and hardiness in novice L2 teachers. In I. P. MacIntyre, T. Gregersen & S. Mercer (Eds.) Positive Psychology in second language acquisition (pp. 168179). Bristol: Multilingual Matters.
Huebner, E. S., Gilman, R., Reschly, A. L., & Hall, R. (2011). Positive schools. In S. J. Lopez & C. R. Snyder (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of Positive Psychology (pp. 561–568). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
International Positive Education Network [IPEN]. (n.d.). Why Positive Education? Retrieved from [URL]
King, J. (2016). ‘It’s time, put on the smile, it’s time!’: The emotional labour of second language teaching within a Japanese university. In C. Gkonou, S. Mercer & D. Tatzl (Eds.), New directions in language learning psychology (pp. 97–112). Cham: Springer
King, J., & Ng, K. S. (in press). Teacher emotions and the emotional labour of second language teaching. In S. Mercer & A. Kostoulas (Eds.), Teacher psychology in SLA. Bristol: Multilingual Matters.
Kirchhoff, C. (2013). L2 extensive reading and flow: Clarifying the relationship. Reading in a Foreign Language, 25(2), 192–212.
Kosior, M. (2017). ELT character education in the 21st century: The power of kindness, the power of ELT. Humanizing Language Teaching, 19(1).
Kostoulas, A., & Lämmerer, A. (in press). Making the transition into teacher education: Resilience as a process of growth. In S. Mercer & A. Kostoulas (Eds.), Teacher psychology in SLA. Bristol: Multilingual Matters.
Layous, K., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2014). The how, why, what, when, and who of happiness: Mechanisms underlying the success of positive interventions. In J. Gruber & J. Moscowitz (Eds.), Positive emotion: Integrating the light sides and dark sides (pp. 473–495). New York: Oxford University Press.
LeDoux, J. (1998). The emotional brain. London: Phoenix.
Lin, J., Oxford, R. L., & Culham, T. (in press). Cultivating the ability of the heart: Educating through the pedagogy of love. In J. Miller (Ed.), International handbook in holistic education. New York: Routledge.
Lopez, S. J., & Gallagher, M. W. (2011). A case for Positive Psychology. In S. J. Lopez & C. R. Snyder (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of Positive Psychology (pp. 3–6). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Lyubomirsky, S., & Layous, K. (2013). How do simple positive activities increase well-being?Current Directions in Psychological Science, 22(1), 57–62.
MacIntyre, P. (2016). So far so good: An overview of Positive Psychology and its contributions to SLA. In D. Gabryś-Barker & D. Galajda (Eds.), Positive Psychology perspectives on foreign language learning and teaching (pp. 3–20). Cham: Springer.
MacIntyre, P. D., & Gregersen, T. (2012). Affect: The role of language anxiety and other emotions in language learning. In S. Mercer, S. Ryan, & M. Williams (Eds.), Psychology for language learning: Insights from research, theory and practice (pp. 103–118). Basingstoke: Palgrave.
MacIntyre, P. D., & Gregersen, T. (2014). Special issue on Positive Psychology in SLA. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching (SSLLT), 4(2).
MacIntyre, P. D., Gregersen, T., & Mercer, S. (2016). Positive Psychology in SLA. Bristol: Multilingual Matters.
MacIntyre, P. D., & Mercer, S. (2014). Introducing Positive Psychology to SLA. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, 4(2), 153–172.
MacIntyre, P. D., & Vincze, L. (2017). Interacting positive and negative emotions in motivation for L2 learning. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, 7(1), 61–88.
Mercer, S., Oberdorfer, P., & Saleem, M. (2016). Helping language teachers to thrive: Using Positive Psychology to promote teachers’ professional well-being. In D. Gabryś-Barker & D. Gałajda (Eds.), Positive Psychology perspectives on foreign language learning and teaching (pp. 213–229). Cham: Springer.
Mercer, S., & Ryan, S. (2016). Stretching the boundaries: Language learning psychology. Palgrave Communications, 21, 1–5.
Morris, I. (2015). Teaching happiness and well-being in schools: Learning to ride elephants. London: Bloomsbury.
Norrish, J. (Ed.). (2015). Positive Education: The Geelong Grammar School journey. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Oxford, R. L. (2016). Toward a psychology of well-being for language learners: The “EMPATHICS” vision. In P. D. MacIntyre, T. Gregersen, & S. Mercer (Eds.), Positive Psychology in SLA (pp. 10–87). Bristol: Multilingual Matters.
Oxford, R. L., & Cuéllar, L. (2014). Positive Psychology in cross-cultural learner narratives: Mexican students discover themselves while learning Chinese. In P. D. MacIntyre & T. Gregersen (Eds.), Positive Psychology and language learning. Special issue, Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, 4(2), 173–203.
Oxford, R. L., Pacheco Acuña, G., Solís Hernández, M., & Smith, A. L. (2015). “A language is a mentality”: A narrative, positive-psychological view of six learners’ development of bilingualism. System, 551, 100–110.
Peterson, C. (2006). A primer in Positive Psychology. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Positive Education Network. (2017, 10February). Every institution has a moral obligation to promote human flourishing, and none more so than those responsible for educating young people [Facebook update]. Retrieved from [URL]
Puchta, H., Stranks, J., & Lewis-Jones, P. (2015). THiNK. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Seligman, M. E. P. (1998). The President’s Address (Annual Report). American Psychologist, 541, 559–562.
Seligman, M. E. P. (2011). Flourish: A visionary new understanding of happiness and well-being. New York: Free Press.
Seligman, M. E. P., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2000). Positive Psychology: An introduction. American Psychologist, 551, 5–14.
Seligman, M. E. P., Ernst, R. M., Gillham, J., Reivich, K., & Linkins, M. (2009). Positive Education: Positive Psychology and classroom interventions. Oxford Review of Education, 35(3), 293–311.
This list is based on CrossRef data as of 30 july 2024. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers.
Any errors therein should be reported to them.