Research Motivation and Objective

Emotions play a critical yet often underexamined role in language learning, particularly among young learners. In Taiwan’s English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context, learners’ emotional experiences and perceptions of the classroom environment can significantly shape their motivation and engagement. However, limited research has examined how individual (e.g., English proficiency) and situational (e.g., classroom environment) factors jointly influence positive and negative emotions, and how these, in turn, affect motivated learning behavior, especially in primary school settings. Drawing on the control-value theory and the L2 motivational self system, this study explores whether English proficiency and classroom learning environment predict primary school students’ motivated learning behavior and whether these relationships are mediated by positive (e.g., enjoyment, hope, pride) and negative (e.g., anger, anxiety, hopelessness) emotions.

Literature Review

Extensive research has linked motivation in second language acquisition to both individual and environmental factors. The classroom learning environment, encompassing social, psychological, and instructional dimensions, has been shown to significantly impact learners’ motivation and emotional engagement. Studies highlight that student involvement, teacher support, and task orientation foster positive attitudes toward English learning. Simultaneously, emotions – categorized as positive or negative – have a profound effect on motivation and achievement. Positive emotions like enjoyment and pride are associated with higher motivation, while negative emotions such as anxiety and hopelessness can impede learning. However, most existing studies focus on older learners or general academic subjects, with little attention to emotion-mediated motivation in young EFL learners. Research has yet to fully explore how discrete emotions, not just aggregate categories, mediate the relationship between personal and situational antecedents and language learning motivation. This study addresses these gaps by assessing both collective and individual emotion effects on motivation.

Research Method

The study employed a cross-sectional design involving 716 Grade 5 and 6 students from three public primary schools in Taiwan. Students first completed the reading and writing sections of the Cambridge Pre-A1 Starters test to assess English proficiency. After 15 weeks, participants completed a questionnaire measuring classroom learning environment, positive and negative emotions, and motivated learning behavior. The instruments were adapted from validated scales, professionally translated, and pilot-tested for clarity. Structural equation modeling using AMOS 27 was applied to examine the relationships among variables and test mediation effects. Confirmatory factor analysis ensured construct validity, and bootstrapping procedures assessed indirect effects. The final model tested both composite and discrete emotional mediators between antecedents (proficiency, classroom environment) and motivated learning behavior.

Results

The structural model demonstrated a good fit. Classroom learning environment significantly predicted motivated learning behavior and positive emotions, which, in turn, also positively influenced motivation. Among individual emotions, enjoyment, hope, and pride partially mediated the relationship between classroom learning environment and motivation. Anger was the only negative emotion that significantly mediated this relationship, with higher anger linked to lower motivation. In contrast, English proficiency was positively associated with positive emotions and negatively associated with negative emotions but did not directly predict motivated learning behavior. No mediating effects of emotions were found in the relationship between English proficiency and motivation. These findings suggest that while English proficiency affects learners’ emotional responses, it is the quality of the classroom environment and resulting positive emotions that primarily drive motivation in young EFL learners. The model explained 50% of the variance in motivated behavior, emphasizing the centrality of classroom context and affective engagement in fostering motivation.

Discussion and Recommendations

This study highlights the critical role of classroom learning environments and emotional experiences in shaping primary students’ motivation in EFL classrooms. Positive emotions emerged as key mediators, suggesting that fostering enjoyment, hope, and pride can significantly enhance engagement and learning behavior. In contrast, anger was the only negative emotion with a significant demotivating effect, emphasizing the importance of minimizing classroom frustration. Surprisingly, English proficiency did not predict motivated behavior, indicating that skill level alone is not sufficient to sustain engagement. These findings support pedagogical strategies that prioritize supportive teacher-student relationships, peer collaboration, affirming feedback, and success-oriented tasks. To address negative emotions, especially anger and hopelessness, schools can incorporate emotional literacy, affective education, and targeted interventions. Future research should adopt longitudinal or mixed method approaches to capture developmental and contextual nuances in young learners’ emotional and motivational trajectories. Overall, the study contributes to a growing body of research emphasizing the emotional foundations of effective language learning.