Special Issue:Positive Psychology in SLA (A Book Review)- Special Issue
الموضوعات : نکرش جدید در یادگیری زبان انکلیسیZahra Tabandeh Hashemi 1 , Mehdi Manochehrzade 2
1 - Department of English language and literature, Ayatollah Amoli branch, Islamic Azad University, Amol, Iran
2 - Centre for Research in Entrepreneurship Education and Development, Canada
الکلمات المفتاحية: Empathy, Empirical, Motivation, Positive Emotion, Positive ,
ملخص المقالة :
Positive psychology is the scientific study of how people progress. It is a new branch of general psychology. Positive psychology has established its place in general psychology over the past decades. However, in second language acquisition (SLA), positive psychology is still in the beginning stage, and little research has focused on its application. The book “Positive Psychology in SLA” edited by Peter D. MacIntyre, Tommy Gregersen, and Sarah Mercer (2016) deals with positive psychology theories and their applications and implications in second language acquisition (SLA). The editors examine to find a balance between empirical and practice-oriented ways of positive psychology in SLA. The book explores theories in positive psychology and implications for language teaching, learning, and communication. Chapters of this book deal with the characteristics of individuals, contests, and relationships that help learning. The authors also present several innovative teaching ideas to bring out the characteristics, such as empathy, and hardiness among learners. This volume is a team work on positive psychological principles to applied linguistics and language learning attempts. The book shows a variable source of knowledge on research and positive psychology in special zones of foreign language teaching. MacIntyre et al. try to show that happiness, stress reduction, enjoyment, and success in language learning in this book are workable.
Positive Psychology in SLA
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Book Review
| Positive Psychology in SLA (A Book Review)
Mehdi Manoocherzadeh1, Zahra Tabandeh Hashemi2 1 Ph.D. Zerodale Inc. Centre for Research in Entrepreneurship Education and Development, Toronto, Canada 1manoochehrzadeh@zerodale.com 2 Ph.D Candidate, Department of ELT. Islamic Azad University, Ayatollah Amoli, Branch, Amol, Iran 2tatahashemi67@gmail.com
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This edited volume comprises three parts that consist of different aspects of positive psychology in foreign language learning and teaching (FLLT). "Part 1: Theoretical" brings together three papers that introduce the construct of fundamental positive psychology. "Part 2: Empirical" consists of seven original empirical studies focusing on foreign language learners and showing how positive interventions can facilitate successful language learning and learners' well-being. The third part of this book, "Part 3: Applied", shows examples of positive psychology techniques in practice.
This volume makes language learning meaningful and fulfilling by emphasizing the importance of positive psychology and positive emotional states like empathy, love, engagement, hope, enjoyment, and relationships. Second language learning is a new area for positive psychology and a remarkable helper.
Chapter 1 summarizes all chapters of the book by Tammy Gregersen, Peter D. MacIntyre, and Sarah Mercer.
Chapter 2 Rebecca Oxford outlines an introduction to positive psychology that helps to organize familiar themes in applied linguistics. "EMPATHICS" model is spreading through positive psychology models is an acronym which has many factors such as E: emotion and empathy, M: meaning and motivation, P: perseverance, A: agency and autonomy, T: time, H: hardiness and habits of mind, I: intelligence, C: character strengths, and S: self-efficacy, self-concept, self-esteem, and self-verification is in language learning. The factors are part of a complex dynamic system.
From chapter 3, the book is divided into three sections: theoretical, empirical, and applied. Part 1 Theoretical, to understand empathy in language learning and teaching. The author tries to explain the importance of empathy from both learner and teacher points of view. The author also mentions social relationships and interpersonal skills as central concerns in studying empathy.
Chapter 4 explains the positive psychology view of how past selves are vital in spreading language learners' dispositions, attitudes, values, and self-beliefs. Past selves can help shape the nature of learners' approach to learning and influence language learning and well-being as constituted by adaptive coping, resilience to stresses, subjective control, hedonic decision-making, and temporal self-comparison and self-regulation.
Chapter 5 is the final chapter in Part 1, "Forbidden Emotion of Love in Applied Linguistics Literature." The authors discuss myths about love in education and provide various definitions of love in education and social science. The chapter aims to help teachers embrace love in education and bring it back into the classroom and language learning conversation.
Chapter 6 is the opening chapter of Part 2,' Empirical. 'The authors suggest that some techniques for encouraging positive emotions may be more effective than others. A mixed-method approach explores the emotional and social consequences of enriching language conversation programs with positive psychology exercises (PPEs). Chapter 6 also offers to build social capital through individual positive psychology activities.
Chapter 7, Meza tries to examine novice language teachers' tackles to find hope. Meza concludes that a familiar link between a hopeful teacher's sense of purpose and developing hope within oneself, teaching will eventually help novice teachers' progress.
Chapter 8 aims to test the characteristics of tasks linked to the positive experience. The authors hope to gain a specific view of what can contribute to flow in the advanced-level foreign language classroom. The result of their work encourages language teachers to plan for different ways to engage learners' attention by using a variety of activities to improve the positive language learning experience.
Chapter 9 provides a mixed-method study showing that learners appear to experience more foreign language enjoyment (FLE) than foreign language classroom anxiety (FLCA), and there is a modest, negative correlation between the two concepts.
In Chapter 10, J. Lake uses quantitative analytic techniques to show how positive psychology constructs can participate in language learning motivation and self-related theories through structural equation models. Lake shows that although focusing on content and communication is crucial in the language classroom, teachers may also want to consider helping learners develop positive identities for personal growth.
Chapter 11 deals with Zan Ibrahim's investigation through interviews and the effect of Directed Motivational Current (DMC) experiences. DMCs have a self-propelling property. He concludes that DMCs can change the interpretation of negative emotions like anxiety and boredom in the light of feelings of happiness and prosperity that operate on a longer time scale.
Chapter 12 is the final chapter of the second part of the "Empirical." The authors share the results of Project Perseverance, a training program that prepares learners for success in study and aims to enable students to become effective self-regulating language learners.
Chapter 13 of the book Applied discusses implementing positive psychology in language classrooms using the PERMA model: positive emotion, Engagement, Relationship, Meaning, and Accomplishment
Chapter 14 suggests getting students to teach others outside of class. The "well-becoming through the teaching/helping" hypothesis states that the tasks that help others can get people out of self-focus. Tim Murphy concludes by suggesting that reacting to "task-based learning" as "task-based teaching" indicates a way to admire the value of learning.
In Chapter 15, Fresacher suggests that positive psychology (PP) can be a valuable topic for language learning. Teaching PP strategies alongside language learning can benefit students in other areas of their education and lives. Students with various language learning goals can improve their positive attitudes and continue using these strategies to enhance their language proficiency.
Chapter 16 is the final chapter on the application of positive psychology. The authors support the use of music in language learning. Music creates a favorable classroom atmosphere and is a tool for managing the different rhythms of active and passive energy that formal learning requires. The authors discuss that incorporating music in language teaching unlocks creativity.
The book Positive Psychology in Second Language Acquisition is one of the few publications in this new area of study. It gives the reader a detailed bibliography in each of the chapters. It offers a background on the issue of positive psychology for those who are not familiar with this new branch of psychology. The book shows the principles of positive psychology in foreign language instruction, which may become more innovative and creative. The practical examples mentioned in the book can be relevant for cognitive progress and affective personality growth of teachers and learners.
The advantage of the book is to give new ways of teaching by using qualitative and mixed-method approaches. It seems that SLA is ready to receive positive psychology. It offers to respond to potential criticism of positive psychology. A book of this type is a series of suggestions that can help the teachers continue to understand emotional states such as love and enjoyment as an essential part of teaching and learning language. This book prepares the way for readers to gain an understanding of the application of positive psychology in language learning and teaching.
References
Barjesteh, H., & Vaseghi, R. (2012). Acculturation Model for L2 Acquisition: Review and Evaluation. Advances in Asian Social Science (AASS), 2, 579-584.
Fatehi Rad, N. Seifi, S. Jalali, V. (2022). The Impact of Cognitive Linguistics (CL) Approach on Long-term Retention of English Modal Verbs Quarterly Journal of Training in police sciences, 10(36), 41-60
Fresacher, C. (2016). 15 Why and How to Use Positive Psychology Activities in the Second Language Classroom. In P. MacIntyre, T. Gregersen & S. Mercer (Ed.), Positive Psychology in SLA (pp. 344-358). Bristol, Blue Ridge Summit: Multilingual Matters. https://doi.org/10.21832/9781783095360-016
Gregersen, T., MacIntyre, P. & Meza, M. (2016). 6 Positive Psychology Exercises Build Social Capital for Language Learners: Preliminary Evidence. In P. MacIntyre, T. Gregersen & S. Mercer (Ed.), Positive Psychology in SLA (pp. 147–167). Bristol, Blue Ridge Summit: Multilingual Matters. https://doi.org/10.21832/9781783095360-007
Ibrahim, Z. (2016). 11 Affect in Directed Motivational Currents: Positive Emotionality in Long-Term L2 Engagement. In P. MacIntyre, T. Gregersen & S. Mercer (Ed.), Positive Psychology in SLA (pp. 258–281). Bristol, Blue Ridge Summit: Multilingual Matters. https://doi.org/10.21832/9781783095360-012
MacIntyre, P., Gregersen, T. & Mercer, S. (2016). Positive Psychology in SLA. Bristol, Blue Ridge Summit: Multilingual Matters. https://doi.org/10.21832/9781783095360
Murphey, T. (2016). 14 Teaching to Learn and Well-Become: Many Mini- Renaissances. In P. MacIntyre, T. Gregersen & S. Mercer (Ed.), Positive Psychology in SLA (pp. 324–343). Bristol, Blue Ridge Summit: Multilingual Matters. https://doi.org/10.21832/9781783095360-015
Oxford, R. (2016). 2 Toward a Psychology of Well-Being for Language Learners: The ‘EMPATHICS’ Vision. In P. MacIntyre, T. Gregersen & S. Mercer (Ed.), Positive Psychology in SLA (pp. 10–88). Bristol, Blue Ridge Summit: Multilingual Matters. https://doi.org/10.21832/9781783095360-003
Biodata
Mehdi Manoochehrzadeh is a graduate of a doctorate in English in the field of education, a holder of a degree in education management from LEEDS University, England, and a holder of a TTC degree from PETREL, Canada. He believes that learning English should be an enjoyable experience, not a chore. He advocats of the fastest English language teaching style called puzzling in 2005. He has been the instructor of University of Tehran, Azad university, Safir Language Academy, and North York, Ontario, Canada . His ultimate goal is to help everyone achieve their dream of learning English.
Email: manoochehrzadeh@zerodale.com
Zahra Tabandeh Hashemi is a Ph.D. candidate teaching English as a Foreign Language at the Islamic Azad University Amol Branch in Iran. She has 15 years of teaching experience at English institutes and universities, such as the University of Tehran and Azad University. She has delivered various courses in English as a foreign language in ELT.
Email:tatahashemi67@gmail.com
