Open AccessUsing Character Strengths to Address English Writing Anxiety
Author(s) -
Tammy Gregersen,
Peter D. MacIntyre,
Rachel Hall Buck
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
theory and practice of second language acquisition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.107
H-Index - 2
eISSN - 2451-2125
pISSN - 2450-5455
DOI - 10.31261/tapsla.8431
Subject(s) - positive psychology , psychological intervention , psychology , anxiety , variety (cybernetics) , distress , character (mathematics) , intervention (counseling) , well being , social psychology , linguistics , psychotherapist , computer science , philosophy , geometry , mathematics , artificial intelligence , psychiatry
Positive psychology has been introduced to the applied linguistics literature with the broad goal of improving the experience of language learners and teachers through a variety of interventions (MacIntyre & Mercer, 2014; Gabryś-Barker & Gałajda, 2016). “The aim of positive psychology is to catalyze a change in psychology from preoccupation only with repairing the worst things in life to also building the best qualities in life” (Seligman &Csikszentmihalyi, 2000, p. 5). One significant contribution of this young field has been a series of empirically-tested positive psychology interventions (PPIs) that have been shown to increase positive emotion, reduce distress, and/or improve well-being (Seligman, Steen, Park, & Peterson, 2005; Sin & Lyubormirsky, 2009). In the present research, we examine one application of a PPI involving a focus on using character strengths as a way to address language anxiety. Through a case study analysis, we demonstrate the ways that this intervention was beneficial for the student.