A Review of Foreign Language Enjoyment Research: Retrospect and Prospect

Abstract

Foreign language enjoyment (FLE) is a positive emotion in second language learning and a growing focus in second language acquisition research. This review traces FLE research from conceptual exploration and empirical expansion to mechanism-oriented inquiry, synthesising theories, conceptualisation, measurement, antecedents, outcomes, limitations, and future directions. Control-value, broaden-and-build, and complex dynamic systems theories offer complementary perspectives on emotional appraisal, positive-emotion functions, and dynamic interaction. Studies link FLE to learners’ psychological resources, teacher support, classroom environments, digital contexts, motivation, engagement, willingness to communicate, and language achievement, although relationships vary across learners, tasks, and contexts. Future research should improve cross-context measurement and use longitudinal, multi-method, and intervention designs to clarify pathways and conditions.