A Review on the Role of Moral Emotions in EFL Learning

Abstract

Moral emotions are increasingly recognized as a crucial component of learning a second or foreign language. This paper presents an in-depth evaluation of the research on the subject, covering the numerous moral emotions that English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students may experience, their effects on language learning results, and the individual and cultural variables that may contribute to these emotions. The review draws on various studies done in different countries and with different populations to highlight moral emotions that EFL learners frequently experience and that can have positive and negative effects on their motivation, engagement, and performance in English learning. These emotions include empathy, sympathy, guilt, shame, gratitude, and respect. The results revealed that cultural and individual elements, including teacher-student connections, learner beliefs and attitudes, and collectivistic cultural norms, significantly influence how moral emotions are formed in EFL learners. The results also highlight the importance of establishing reliable and valid tools for assessing moral emotions as a first step in understanding their function in EFL learning and creating efficient pedagogical strategies to encourage positive moral emotions. Finally, this review suggests a few areas for further research and highlights some implications of the findings for EFL teachers and academics.