The Trajectory of English Foreign Learners’ Emotions and Motivation from the Start to the End of their Learning Journey: A Pseudo-Longitudinal Investigation

The current study is based on a pseudo-longitudinal design to investigate the trajectory of Foreign Language Enjoyment (FLE), Foreign Language Peace of Mind (FLPOM), Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety (FLCA), Foreign Language Boredom (FLB) among a total of 502 Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced English Foreign Language (EFL) learners in Morocco who filled out a single online questionnaire. Statistical results showed that motivation remained unchanged across skill levels but that positive emotions increased significantly and negative emotions dropped significantly, with the transition from Beginner to Intermediate skill levels showing the biggest change. The direction of relationships between the dependent variables remained similar although their strengths varied slightly across skill levels, reflecting the dynamic nature of FL learners’ emotions and motivation.