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Organizers: prof. Danuta Wiśniewska (danuta.wisniewska@amu.edu.p), dr. Jakub Przybył (jakub.przybyl@amu.edu.pl)
Prof. Jean-Marc Dewaele (35 938 citations, h-index: 97), affiliated with the Birkbeck Univerisity of London, is our first invited speaker. His research is interdisciplinary, situated in applied linguistics, sociolinguistics, sociopragmatics, social psychology, cultural psychology, personality psychology, positive psychology and psychotherapy. It focuses broadly on theeffects of individual differences on multilingual language use and acquisition, with a focus on personality and emotion. In lecture 1, Jean-Marc Dewaele wants to argue that globalpersonality traits and lower-order personality traits typically explain relatively little variance because of their broad nature in relation to specific contextual variables. Personality does play a role in the broader nomological network of language learning, especially in predicting foreign language emotions (i.e. enjoyment, anxiety, boredom). The influence of Dynamic System Theory and positive psychology has shaped the field and offers useful lenses tounderstand that personality traits and emotions are not in static cause-effect relationships butrather are entangled in highly complex dynamic networks englobing language, motivation, social relationships, educational contexts and teacher practices. The most essential works providing empirical evidence for the claims involve:
Botes, E., Dewaele, J.-M., Greiff, S., & Götz, T. (2024b). Can personality predict foreign language classroom emotions? The devil’s in the detail. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 46(1), 51–74. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263123000153
Dewaele, J.-M., Botes, E., & Meftah, R. (2023). A three-body problem: The effects of foreignlanguage anxiety, enjoyment, and boredom on academic achievement. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 43, 7-22. doi:10.1017/S0267190523000016
Chen, X., He, J., Swanson, E., Cai, Z., & Fan, X. (2021). Big five personality traits and second language learning: A meta-analysis of 40 years’ research. Educational Psychology Review, 1-37. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-021-09641-6
Ebn-Abbasi, F., Fattahi, N., Dewaele, J.-M., & Botes, E. (to appear). The light side of darkness? The dark triad of personality as positive and negative predictors of L2 language learning. Studies in Second Language Acquisition.
Professor Peter MacIntyre from the Cape Breton University (Canada) (56 906 citations; h-index: 87) is our second invited speaker. Peter MacIntyre is widely recognized for hispioneering research on Willingness to Communicate (WTC) in second language learning. The construct has been evolving toward ever more dynamic conceptualisations (Henry & MacIntyre, 2023; MacIntyre, 2020). Originally defined as a trait-like probability of initiating communication when free to do so (McCroskey & Richmond, 1991), recent research in SLA has emphasized how WTC is constructed and re-constructed on-the-fly. It has become clear that this requires an updated conceptual map of the antecedents underlying WTC. Building on the pyramid model of WTC (MacIntyre et al., 1998). Lecture 2 thus addresses a more highly variable, context-dependent, multilingual version of the construct: a 3-D pyramid. Among the theoretical roots of this conceptualizationis Cognitive-Experiential Self-Theory (CEST; Epstein, 2003). According to Epstein, the concept of “vibes” plays a significant role in rapidly changing emotion systems, influencing both individual emotional experiences and social interactions. Vibes can be understood assubtle emotional states that arise from past experiences and social contexts, affecting how individuals perceive and respond to their immediate environment, including language choices. Vibes can change very quickly and are integrated into emotion systems through various psychological and sociological frameworks. Vibes are generated from past experiences, subtly guiding present emotional responses and behaviors (Gregersen et al., 2014). Moreover, the social transmission of vibes is crucial in understanding emotional dynamics within groups. Fredrickson and Joiner (2002) argue that positive emotions create upward spirals of emotional well-being, broadening individuals’ thought processes and enhancing their ability to connect with others. The continuous arousal of vibes in L2 social situations (positive, negative, or ambivalent) contribute significantly to the WTC system, functioning as both individual emotional states and social phenomena. Understanding vibes within these frameworks can enhance our comprehension of emotional dynamics in varioussettings, from personal relationships to broader social interactions. Key references for the talk include:
Epstein, S. (2003). Cognitive-experiential self-theory of personality. In T. Millon and M.
Lerner (Eds.), Handbook of psychology: Volume 5: Personality and Social Psychology (pp. 159-184). Wiley.
Fredrickson, B. and Joiner, T. (2002). Positive emotions trigger upward spirals toward emotional well-being. Psychological Science, 13(2), 172-175.
Gregersen, T., MacIntyre, P., & Meza, M. (2014). The motion of emotion: idiodynamic case studies of learners’ foreign language anxiety. Modern Language Journal, 98(2). Henry, A., &MacIntyre, P.D. (2024). Willingness to communicate, multilingualism and interactions in community contexts. Multilingual Matters.
MacIntyre, P.D. (2020). Expanding the theoretical base for the dynamics of willingness tocommunicate. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching 10 (1), 111-131. MacIntyre, P.D., Clément, R., Dörnyei, Z., & Noels, K.A. (1998). Conceptualizing willingnessto communicate in a L2: A situational model of L2 confidence and affiliation. Modern Language Journal, 82, 545-562.
McCroskey, J.C., & Richmond, V.P. (1991). Willingness to communicate: A cognitive view. In M. Booth-Butterfield (Ed.),Communication, cognition, and anxiety (pp. 19-37).
Prof. Sarah Mercer (12 184 citations; h-index: 51), from the University of Graz (Austria) isour fourth invited speaker. Prof. Mercer is a leading researcher in language education, specializing in the psychology of language learning and teaching. She has published extensively on teacher well-being, motivation, and the interplay of psychological factors inlanguage classrooms, emphasizing the importance of nurturing positive teacher and learner development. In lecture 3, Sarah Mercer wants toexplore the critical role of language teacher psychology in shaping the teaching and learning process. She wishes to argue that the psychological well-being, beliefs, and motivations of language teachers significantly influence their teaching practices and, consequently, their students’ language learning outcomes. Drawing on current research, she proposes toexamine what is known about the psychological factors that impact language teaching, including the interplay between teacher emotions, self- efficacy, and motivation. She also plans to discuss the gaps in our knowledge and highlight areas where further research is needed to better understand how teacher psychology can be nurtured and supported to enhance teaching effectiveness. The lecture aims to emphasise the importance of integrating psychological insights into teacher development programs to foster more reflective and resilient educators. The most essential references here include:
Gregersen, T., & Mercer, S. (Eds.). (2022). The Routledge handbook of the psychology of language learning and teaching. Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.
MacIntyre, P. D. (2007). Willingness to communicate in the second language: Understanding the decision to speak as a volitional process. The Modern Language Journal, 91(4), 564-576.
MacIntyre, P. (2020). Expanding the theoretical base for the dynamics of willingness tocommunicate. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, 10(1), 111-131. Mercer, S., & Gregersen, T. (2023). Transformative positive psychology in the acquisition of additional languages. JMMD, 1-16.
Mercer, S., & Kostoulas, A. (Eds.). (2018). Language teacher psychology (Vol. 1). Multilingual Matters.
Professor Kata Csizér, from the Eötvös University (Hungary) (14 838 citations; h- index: 37) is our fourth invited speaker. Her research centres on research motivation in languagelearning, with a particular focus on how individual differences, social influences, andcultural contexts shape learners’ motivational processes. She has contributed significantly to understanding the L2 Motivational Self System, exploring how ideal and ought-to selves drive language learning behaviors. Her work examines the dynamic interplay betweenmotivation, attitudes, and learners’ linguistic and cultural environments. In lecture 4, KataCsizér aims to explore the complexities of fostering motivation for foreign language learningwithin the classroom. She will argue that while individual differences such as learners’ goalsand self-concepts significantly influence motivation, these factors interact dynamicallywith broader social and contextual variables, such as peer influence, teacher practices, and cultural attitudes toward languages. Drawing on insights from the L2 MotivationalSelf System and contemporary research in educational psychology, she willdemonstrate how motivation in the classroom is not a static entity but part of aninterconnected and evolving network that includes emotions, identity, and learningenvironments. The lecture will provide actionable strategies for educators to nurturesustainable motivation among language learners. The most essential references here include: Csizér, K. (2020). Second language motivation research in a European context: The case of Hungary. Berlin: Springer Nature. doi, 10, 978-3.
Csizér, K., Smid, D., Zólyomi, A., & Albert, Á. (2025). Motivation, autonomy and emotions in foreign language learning: A multi-perspective investigation in Hungary (Vol. 27). Psychology of Language Learning and Teaching. Multilingual Matters.
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