Positive emotions, academic performance and well-being in language learning: a bibliometric analysis

This bibliometric study investigates the impact of positive emotions without neglecting the benefits of negative emotions on academic performance and well-being among teachers and students in language education. The current study synthesized retrieved data from 382 relevant studies published between 2013 and 2023 using LENS software and provided suggestions for future studies in the field. Descriptive characteristics of the publications showed an increased number of publications in 2015 and 2018. The top two leading authors by publication amount and citation score were J-M. Dewaele and P.D. Macintyre. The results indicated that positive emotions have a significant impact on academic success, the development of students' skills and abilities, and increase overall well-being among students and teachers in language education. The findings are useful for researchers interested in an overview of publication trends in language education, for teachers and students encouraging a deeper understanding of positive emotions' impact on academic performance and creating an efficient learning environment. Nevertheless, future research should explore the integration of gender, and sociocultural variables to better understand how emotional experiences and their impacts in learning may vary across diverse teaching contexts and learner populations.