The effects of positive psychology interventions on EFL learners’ well-being

Abstract

The application of positive psychology interventions (PPIs) in the language classroom has received increased attention from educators and researchers for their utility. Using these activities, educators hit two targets with one arrow: enhance learners’ well-being and language learning journeys and achievements. The current study aimed to investigate the efficacy of PPIs in promoting the well-being of English as a foreign language (EFL) students in a public school in Armenia. It also uncovered the students’ and teacher’s attitudes towards the activities as well-being promoting and language learning tools. The participants were 20 ninth-grade students and their English teacher. Twice a week for six weeks, the students engaged in the PPI activities. As a mixed methods action research, qualitative and quantitative methods were used to collect data. Qualitative data sources included student written reflections, a focus group discussion, and a teacher questionnaire. As for the quantitative data, they were collected once before and once after the intervention using the following surveys: the WHO-5 well-being survey and the GR-6 gratitude survey. The pre- and post-intervention survey results revealed a significant increase in the students’ well-being. However, there were no significant gains in gratitude. Finally, qualitative data collected from the students and the teacher surfaced their perspectives on the PPIs.