Understanding happiness through the lens of Confucius and Mencius: A reflective approach in an ESP course for Chilean university students

Integrating classical Confucian texts into an English for Specific Purposes (ESP) course, this mixed-methods case study explored how 47 Chilean undergraduates reconceptualized happiness. As an exploratory study, this intervention offers preliminary insights into how brief exposure to Confucian philosophy may influence students’ conceptualizations of happiness in an ESP context. Students read passages from the Analects and Mencius, wrote 180-word reflections, completed a ten-item survey, and 24 participated in semi-structured interviews. Inductive thematic analysis of essays revealed four dominant views: happiness as moral virtue, relational harmony, inner peace, and purposeful contribution. One-sample t-tests showed strong endorsement of the task’s ethical and linguistic value (M = 4.3/5; d > 1.0), while robust correlations linked perceived worth to deep reflection and motivation to read philosophy. Interviews confirmed lexical growth, intercultural insight, and unanimous support for retaining philosophy-based tasks. Findings suggest reflective engagement with non-Western thought humanizes ESP curricula and fosters critical, intercultural competence.