The ECLE network comprises researchers from different disciplines who share a common interest in investigating affective/emotional aspects of language learning and teaching. Members draw on different methodological (qualitative and quantitative) and epistemological (pedagogical, socio-linguistic and psychological) paradigms to understand emotional factors which play a role in motivating or demotivating learners of foreign and/or second languages. We are especially, though not exclusively, oriented towards exploring the impact of creativity in learning and teaching to develop interdisciplinary and multi-modal engagement with language(s). Our working languages are English and/or French.
The aim of the network is to provide a forum for presenting our work and building synergies across our different fields. We envisage three dominant, overlapping strands of focus:
- Creativity and learning: taking risks, the role of the teacher in encouraging a deeper affective engagement, integrating an arts-based approach to language learning.
- Contexts of learning: understanding broad or individual socio-affective variables which shape learning, both at the macro- and micro-levels.
- Classroom innovations: teaching 'differently' (e.g. through drama, literature, wordplay, voice), using ludic approaches to promote learning, the challenges of creating a relaxing 'safe' environment with alternative pedagogy, sensitizing students to emotional lexis (e.g. through corpus data or translation).
