“I am proud of you.” Satisfying adolescents’ basic psychological needs in second language learning – insights from video research

This qualitative case study elucidated how second language teachers of Swedish in Finland satisfy adolescents’ basic psychological needs in elementary and middle school. This context is characterized by low motivation for second language learning. The data, collected in seven schools, consisted of video recordings of 27 lessons, field notes, and teachers’ reflection questions. Grounded in theory-driven content analysis, the findings showed that the teachers used a multitude of practices to satisfy adolescents’ BPNs, such as considering the experiences of mastery and providing care in a sensitive manner, especially in their feedback practices and interaction with adolescents. The practices were mostly associated with cultivating relatedness. This study argues that considering relatedness in a context where most adolescents’ motivation to study the second language is limited refers to a focal aspect in second language learning.