Foreign language peace of mind: a positive emotion drawn from the Chinese EFL learning context

Abstract This study presents a new positive emotion construct, 外语平和心态 ( waiyu pinghe xintai ) or Foreign Language Peace of Mind (FLPOM), drawn from the Chinese cultural tradition. It is a low-arousal positive (LAP) emotional state (e.g., calmness, peacefulness) and a state of internal harmony. Three sub-studies were conducted. In Study 1, a measurement scale of FLPOM was developed and validated. In Study 2, the FLPOM scale was administered to Chinese English as a Foreign Language learners along the Chinese Foreign Language Enjoyment (FLE) scale which can potentially reflect slightly more high-arousal positive (HAP) states (e.g., joy, enthusiasm) to test the discriminability of FLPOM from FLE. Study 3 examined the extents to which FLPOM and FLE predict Chinese learners’ language proficiency. Correlation and discriminant validity analysis confirmed that FLPOM and FLE were related but discriminable emotion constructs. Stepwise regression analyses revealed that FLPOM was a stronger predictor of Chinese learners’ self-perceived FL proficiency than FLE. Possible implications on FL teaching and learning in the Chinese context were provided.