The effect of positive emotion on foreign language teacher engagement and well-being: A cross-cultural comparison

• Azari Noughabi, Mostafa ^[1] ; Yang, Shanshan ^[2] ; Botes, Elouise ^[3] ; Dewaele, Jean-Marc ^[4]
  1. [1] Hakim Sabzevari University

     Hakim Sabzevari University

     Irán

     
  2. [2] Fudan University

     Fudan University

     China

     
  3. [3] University of Luxembourg

     University of Luxembourg

     Luxemburgo

     
  4. [4] Birkbeck, University of London

     Birkbeck, University of London

     Reino Unido

     

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• Localización: Language teaching research, ISSN 1362-1688, Vol. 30, Nº. 7, 2026, págs. 4036-4056
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • Foreign language teaching enjoyment (FLTE) has recently been introduced as a broad positive emotion experienced by foreign language (FL) teachers, despite obstacles embedded in FL teaching. However, identifying its psychological outcomes – and the cultural specificity of these outcomes – has received scant research attention across different contexts. The present cross-cultural study aims to investigate whether teachers’ FLTE can predict and influence engagement and well-being in the English as a foreign language (EFL) context of Iran and China. A series of structural equation models (SEMs) indicated that EFL teachers’ FLTE affected their work engagement and well-being in both Iranian and Chinese samples, with structural invariance tests confirming the group-level differences between Iranian and Chinese EFL teachers in the light of FLTE outcomes. The study provides insight into the positive outcomes of positive emotions in FL teaching as framed by the lens of positive psychology. In addition, a rare non-Western cross-cultural comparison contributes to the ongoing discussions in literature regarding the influence of cultural contexts on the experience and outcome manifestation of positive emotions.