Chinese EFL Teachers' Perceptions of Positive Emotionality and Emotion Regulation Strategies: A Qualitative Study

The role of positive emotions and emotionality in second/foreign language (L2) teaching has been the focus of a growing mass of investigations in the past decade. However, there is a dearth of research on English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers' perception of positive emotionality, as an over-arching construct and the way it is regulated. To bridge this gap, this qualitative study used a semi-structured interview with 34 Chinese EFL teachers to unveil their views on positive emotionality and its associated regulatory strategies. The results of the thematic analysis revealed that positive emotionality could generate other positive emotions, foster teaching and learning, establish a positive rapport and learning climate, and enhance professional success, enthusiasm, and commitment among the participants. Furthermore, it was found that Chinese EFL teachers had employed a range of regulatory strategies to manage positive emotionality before and after its incidence. They used 'situation selection', 'cognitive appraisal', 'reflection and self-talk', and 'attentional deployment' strategies before the emergence of positive emotionality. However, they had used 'mindfulness practices' and 'relaxation' and attended events inducing 'laughter of joy' after experiencing positive emotionality to up-regulate it. The findings are discussed and implications for EFL teachers, teacher educators, and language policy-makers are provided to encourage a special shift toward emotionality and positivity in L2 education policy and practice.