Introduction to the special issue on positive psychology and wellbeing

Abstract

This introduction to the Special Issue on ‘Positive Psychology and Wellbeing’ begins by outlining the history and relevance of Positive Psychology (PP) for ELT. A key construct in PP is wellbeing, which all the papers in this Special Issue focus on. In this introductory article, we describe how the term wellbeing has been used and how it is defined in this collection. We discuss why wellbeing matters in language learning and teaching and point out some of the key controversies surrounding this term. We then introduce the nine articles highlighting their unique contributions to furthering our understandings in this field. We conclude by reflecting on key practical implications derived from the contributions and by presenting possible avenues for future research in this area. Our hope is that this collection of papers will serve as an impetus for innovations in practice, research, and theoretical thinking about this vitally important topic.