To what extent second language acquisition (SLA) can contribute to learner’s psychological and emotional development and their social well-being?

Literature Review

According to the growing research, language helps to constitute emotions such as fear, disgust, and anger by cohering sensation into specific perceptions. Dewaele (2019) holds that language plays a pivotal role in emotions. According to the evidence from cognitive and developmental science, language builds concept knowledge in a pupil. Acquisition of a second language helps the pupil formulate abstract concepts (Rimm-Kaufman & Hamre, 2010) and enables the pupil to use concepts learnt in a classroom to make meaning in sensory perception. Therefore, language binds the concept of emotions to embodied experience. Besides, by learning a second language, the pupil creates a range of positive and negative emotions. Shao et al. (2019) argue that in the process of learning the second language, emotions are of critical importance to its achievement. Traditional research on second language acquisition and emotions concentrated on negative emotions such as language anxiety, leaving behind positive emotions such as admiration, hope, joy, gratitude, pride, and happiness unaddressed (Teimouri et al., 2019). However, according to recent research, positive emotions, such as enjoyment, and negative emotions have both been addressed in the process of learning and teaching (Shao et al., 2019). Researchers have examined various language learning emotions with their outcomes. Positive and negative emotions provide an insight into how the acquisition of a second language can fine-tune the emotions of the learner that may eventually lead to the success of the learner (Oxford, 2016).
Positive psychology is built on three pillars: positive emotions that comprise the school and family members, positive emotions such as good virtues and strengths, and emotions such as joy and happiness (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000). Fredrickson (2001) also holds that the key component of positive psychology is positive emotions. Positive emotions help the learner achieve psychological growth, improved well-being, and intellectual development. This argument emphasises the point that positive psychology and positive emotions play a pivotal role in second language acquisition, which is a developing process that necessitates a long-term effect on a learner’s optimism, resilience, interest, and motivation (Fredrickson, 2001). Positive emotions such as emotional intelligence, courage, optimism, and empathy help the learners energise and recognise their strengths and those of others. When the feature of positive psychology such as happiness and emotional intelligence are reflected in the learner’s behaviour, feeling and thought, it helps them overcome language obstacles, thus helping the learner obtain the optimal effect and learning experience in the second language classroom setup (Lake, 2013). In addition, good institutions such as schools with supportive peers and teachers, high-quality education, freedom in inquiry, democracy, and security can transcend learners who feel lonely in the process of learning the second language (Shao et al., 2013). According to Khajavy et al. (2018), the three pillars of positive psychology are linked together in second language acquisition. Positive features portrayed by the learner can develop positive emotions, which affect teachers and learners through means such as social appraisal and emotional contagion. A conducive environment in the classroom and at the institutional level leads to beneficial language experience and the development of all learners (Khajavy et al., 2018).