Positive Psychology and Second Language Education

This book applies a positive psychology perspective to theory, research and practice related to the teaching and learning of second/foreign languages (L2) for all ages, incorporating related fields of applied linguistics, education, and psychology. Central topics include positive psychological, cultural and social aspects of L2 learning experiences and environment contexts for usage of the L2, individual traits and strengths in L2 learners and teachers that enable people to thrive within the contexts of two or more languages. Chapters cover both positive second language “caring”, “doing” and “being”, focusing on the necessary factors for successful language learning as well as its impact on self and well-being.

Positive Psychology and Second Language Education aims to provide a holistic approach to understanding L2 teaching and learning from the perspective of positive psychology. It will be a useful resource for researchers and students in psychology, education, and L2 fields, as well as professional educators seeking to better understand the cognitive and linguistic research surrounding bilingualism.

Amado M. Padilla is currently Professor of Developmental and Psychological Sciences and the Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs in the Graduate School of Education, Stanford University. In addition, he is also the principal investigator for the California World Language Project which is a California State-wide project for professional development for world language educators from elementary to high school with the goal of improving languages teaching pedagogy in the public education sector.  Also he is a language researcher with special interests in Second Language Acquisition, Dual Language Immersion Education, Foreign Language Instruction, Educational Psychology and Positive Psychology. Prof.Padilla holds Fellow status in the American Psychological Association and the American Educational Research Association. Prof. Padilla is a recipient of the Paul Pimsleur Award (1989) for research in Foreign Language Education by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. Together, Prof. Padilla and Prof. Chen are the editors of: Positive Psychology and Learning a Second or Third Language (Frontiers in Psychology, 2020). Padilla's research follows three major strands: (1) resilient students who achieve high levels of academic performance despite coming from immigrant home backgrounds that pose multiple challenges to educational excellence, including adaptation to U.S. culture and English;  (2) acculturation and acculturation stressors including learning a L2 that impact the social and psychological well-being of immigrant youth; and (3) studies involving second language learning and teaching, and strategies for achieving bilingual proficiency and biculturalism especially among heritage speakers of Spanish and several  Asian languages.

Xinjie Chen is currently an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Education at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), where she serves as the Director of the Language Education and Positive Psychology (LEaPP) Lab. Before joining CUHK, Prof. Chen was a Senior Research Associate and Lecturer at Stanford University, while serving as the Research Director for the California World Language Project. She began her academic journey at Stanford’s Graduate School of Education as a postdoctoral research fellow, following the completion of her master’s degree in applied Linguistics and Ph.D. in Educational Psychology. Prof. Chen is a multilingual speaker (Cantonese, Mandarin, English, and French) and passionate lifelong language learner (Spanish, German, Greek, and Japanese) with varying levels of proficiency. Currently, Prof. Chen sits on the editorial board of academic journals School Psychology International and Educational Psychology. She has been invited to serve as a guest editor and as peer reviewer for a significant number of international academic peer-reviewed journals. Prof. Chen’s research interests are interdisciplinary, including development and educational psychology, second/foreign language teaching and learning, positive psychology and education. Her research has taken different research forms and resulted in a series of publications in leading journals in the field of psychology, education, and language, such as Educational Psychology Review, Journal of Happiness Studies, Journal of Positive Psychology, International Journal of Educational Research, International Journal of Applied Linguistics, Foreign Language Annals, International Journal of Bilingualism, System, Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development.