A Review of the Impact of Emotional Intelligence on Second Language Acquisition

Abstract

Emotional intelligence, as an emerging variable in the study of individual differences, has gradually entered the field of second language acquisition research in recent years. This article reviews empirical research both at home and abroad from 1995 to 2024, and summarizes the influence paths of emotional intelligence on foreign language learning from three aspects: emotional experience, learning behavior, and academic effectiveness. Research has found that emotional intelligence not only alleviates negative emotions including anxiety, burnout, and boredom, but also promotes the generation of positive emotions such as joy and pride. It indirectly promotes the use of metacognition and social strategies by enhancing the ability to regulate emotions, and strengthens the willingness to communicate and the autonomy of learning. Its prediction of academic performance has both direct effects and multiple mediating effects through emotional variables such as pleasure, anxiety, and burnout. Among them, the mediating effect of the "burnout" path is the most stable. External factors such as classroom support and teaching context will regulate the intensity and direction of the above relationship. Future research should focus on the differentiated roles of sub-dimensions of emotional intelligence, expand the exploration of mechanisms in different educational stages and online learning environments, and strengthen longitudinal tracking and teaching intervention design, providing empirical evidence for the construction of a foreign language teaching system that supports all-round development.