Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Teaching, Learning and Education
Year: 2024
DOI:
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Mindfulness in Foreign Language Classrooms: A Systematic Review
Asuman Aşık and Zeynep Koçali
ABSTRACT:
In recent years, mindfulness has begun to find its place within second/foreign language education in relation to positive psychology. The increased awareness and acceptance of mindfulness in education introduces a new paradigm in language pedagogy, yet educators in this field often lack clarity in understanding the essence of mindfulness and its applicability in instructional settings. This systematic review offers a comprehensive synthesis of studies conducted within English language teaching contexts, focusing on incorporating mindfulness. Through an extensive search across various databases, 23 pertinent studies were identified for inclusion in this review. Initially, prevalent themes within mindfulness research were discerned, followed by an analysis of critical findings categorized into intervention-based and non-intervention-based studies. Results underscored a predominant exploration of themes such as foreign language anxiety and language proficiency within mindfulness research. Furthermore, interventions employing mindfulness techniques were primarily associated with positive effects on language learners. At the same time, non-intervention studies revealed a favorable correlation between mindfulness skills and outcomes in foreign language education. This review will provide a discussion on the implications of these findings for language pedagogy and suggest paths for further research.
keywords: language teaching; mindfulness, mindfulness in classrooms; positive psychology; systematic review