There is no doubt that language learning has influenced, and been influenced by, research in psychology. As a discipline, psychology tends focused on disorders and problems in development. In contrast, over the past few years, positive psychology has emerged as the study of how human beings prosper and live well (see Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000). Positive psychology takes on the goal of identifying and enhancing the human strengths that make life better, allowing individuals and communities to thrive. It is a rapidly emerging field within psychology, with roots in the humanistic tradition but based on an empirical research foundation. As such, standard empirical research methods are applied to research questions under study, along with innovative methods to examine emotion and cognition in language development and use. The session will consider the ways in which positive psychology research can contribute to understanding language learning and set the stage for teacher and learner success.
Peter D. MacIntyre is Professor of Psychology at Cape Breton University. His research focusses on the psychology of language and communication. He has published over 100 articles and chapters on language anxiety, willingness to communicate, motivation and other topics, often co-authoring publications with senior students. He has co-authored or co-edited books on topics including Positive Psychology in SLA, Motivational Dynamics. Nonverbal Communication, Teaching Innovations, and Capitalizing on Language Learner Individuality. His awards include being recognized for teaching excellence (Cape Breton University, Atlantic Association of Universities), the Gardner Award (from the International Association for Language and Social Psychology) and the Mildenberger Prize (Modern Language Association) for contributions to the study of language.
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