Willingness to communicate (WTC) is a key antecedent of learners’ actual use of the target language for communication (MacIntyre et al., 1998) [1], directly affecting the frequency and quality of their language practice opportunities. However, learners’ reluctance to communicate due to anxiety and lack of confidence is common in EFL classrooms, making the enhancement of students’ communicative intention an important issue in foreign language teaching. In recent years, the rise of positive psychology has made Foreign Language Enjoyment (FLE) an important construct in second language acquisition research. Existing studies have shown that FLE is significantly predictive of Willingness to Communicate in the second language (L2 WTC) (Dewaele, 2019) [2], but systematic studies into the relationship between these two constructs and practical classroom enhancement strategies remain insufficient. Through a narrative review of literature on the relationship between FLE and L2 WTC, this paper discusses the mechanism underlying their relationship and proposes corresponding classroom strategies for enhancing students’ L2 WTC.

Positive psychologist Csikszentmihalyi (1990) [3] defined enjoyment as a component of “flow”, which refers to complete immersion in a behavior due to intrinsic motivation. Csikszentmihalyi (2014) [4] distinguished between enjoyment and pleasure in their definitions. Enjoyment is defined as the positive feeling that arises from pushing one’s limits, surpassing oneself, and accomplishing new or even unexpected things, especially when facing difficult tasks. Conversely, pleasure is simply considered the positive feeling when one’s homeostatic needs (such as food, rest and sleep) are met. For example, in language learning, when learners encounter particularly difficult articles or language structures, enjoyment may arise, and the learner’s performance may exceed expectations, with complete focus on learning. Dewaele & MacIntyre (2016) [5] argued that enjoyment is a complex emotional state, a feeling of success achieved through effort, reflecting the human desire for success when facing difficult tasks. They distinguish enjoyment from happiness, believing that happiness does not require effort to attain. Ainley & Hidi (2014) [6] defined enjoyment as a feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment arising from an activity or its outcome.

In the field of L2 acquisition, enjoyment is defined as an emotion that learners experience during the learning process and is closely related to the learning context (Jiang, 2020) [7]. Pavelescu & Petric (2018) [8] pointed out that enjoyment is related to teacher support, friendly peers, and a positive learning experience. Hao (2022) [9] added that enjoyment is a non-rational emotional experience inseparable from the language learning environment, having contextual characteristics.

The above studies all suggest that enjoyment is a positive psychological emotion, a sense of satisfaction from completing a task. In this study, FLE refers to senses of satisfaction, accomplishment and pleasure experienced during foreign language learning, a context-specific form of enjoyment closely related to the learning context. Since most Chinese students learn English as a foreign language, this study primarily focuses on FLE in the English classroom.

Dewaele & MacIntyre (2016) [5] categorized FLE into two dimensions: FLE-social and FLE-private. The former refers to the satisfaction learners experience in a positive classroom environment, evoked by peer encouragement, supportive teachers, and a supportive environment. The latter refers to the personal emotions learners experience when difficulties are overcome, including personal pride and satisfaction.

Based on positive psychology and the actual situation of Chinese students’ foreign language learning, Li et al. (2018) [10] divided FLE into three dimensions: FLE-private, FLE-teacher, and FLE-atmosphere. Specifically, students’ personal enjoyment, teachers’ teaching attitudes and methods, and a positive classroom environment can all enhance students’ FLE. FLE-private is associated with the personal enjoyment derived from pushing beyond personal limits or personal progress, outstanding performance, and exciting experiences in foreign language learning, for example, achieving improvement in writing skills. FLE-teacher captures students’ enjoyment derived from the inspirational and supportive attitude of their foreign language teachers during foreign language learning, for example, high praise from English teachers for students. FLE-atmosphere refers to how students perceive the positive atmosphere created in the foreign language classroom through group activities, for example, engaging in enjoyable role-playing in a foreign language with teammates.

Jin and Zhang (2018) [11] proposed that FLE consists of three dimensions: enjoyment of English learning, enjoyment of teacher support, and enjoyment of student support. Enjoyment of English learning concerns learners’ personal enjoyment and is related to learners’ autonomy, sense of accomplishment, and the learning process itself. Enjoyment of teacher support and enjoyment of student support stem from positive teacher-student and student-student relationships.

MacIntyre et al. (1998) [1] argued that the goal of L2 teaching is to enable learners to actively engage in L2 communication, and that WTC in an L2 is a key antecedent of actual communication. To explain individual differences in L2 WTC, MacIntyre et al. (1998) [1] constructed a pyramid model of L2 WTC, systematically categorizing its potential influencing factors into four levels: situational antecedents, motivational orientation, affective-cognitive environment, and social-individual environment. Based on the Chinese cultural background and the context of English learning, Wen & Clément (2003) [12] further explained how communicative desire is transformed into L2 WTC within the pyramid model, suggesting that social environment, personality factors, motivational orientation, and affective factors are important contributors to this transformation process. Related empirical studies have shown that positive emotional experiences, such as FLE, can predict L2 WTC (Wei et al., 2022) [13].

Pekrun’s (2006) [14] control-value theory also provided a theoretical basis for research on L2 WTC. This theory posits that the external environment can evoke corresponding academic emotions by influencing learners’ control and value appraisals. Learners’ perceived control over learning activities and outcomes, along with their value assessment, are key factors influencing the generation and development of academic emotions (Pekrun, 2006) [14]. Therefore, this theory provides important theoretical support for exploring how learners’ control and value assessment affect FLE, which further influences their L2 WTC.

The three dimensions of FLE identified by Li et al. (2018) [10]—FLE-private, FLE-teacher, and FLE-atmosphere—can be meaningfully mapped onto MacIntyre et al.’s (1998) [1] pyramid model of L2 WTC. Specifically, FLE-private, which concerns personal enjoyment derived from surpassing one’s own limits and making progress in language learning, corresponds to the affective-cognitive level of the pyramid, where self-confidence and perceived communicative competence are central. FLE-teacher, reflecting students’ enjoyment of teachers’ supportive and inspirational attitudes, relates to the situational level, as teacher behavior constitutes an immediate antecedent in the classroom context. FLE-atmosphere, capturing the positive peer dynamics and group climate in the classroom, also operates at the situational level, as a positive classroom environment directly shapes learners’ willingness to engage in communication at a given moment. This mapping suggests that FLE is not a single monolithic construct but operates across multiple levels of the L2 WTC pyramid, providing a theoretical basis for understanding how classroom emotional experiences may collectively shape learners’ communicative readiness.

With the development of positive psychology, research on the relationship between classroom FLE and L2 WTC has gradually increased, however, related studies remain relatively limited. Khajavy et al. (2018) [15] used a doubly latent multilevel analysis to explore the relationship among academic emotions, classroom atmosphere, and L2 WTC. The results showed that classroom FLE was significantly correlated with L2 WTC at both the individual student level and the classroom level, demonstrating a significant positive predictive effect of classroom FLE on L2 WTC. Dewaele (2019) [2] investigated the factors influencing L2 WTC among Spanish learners of English. Through multiple regression analysis, the study found that English classroom anxiety was the strongest negative predictor of L2 WTC, while classroom FLE and teachers’ frequency of English use for communicative purposes were the strongest positive predictors. Lee (2009) [16] examined the relationship between classroom FLE and L2 WTC among six Korean learners of English. The results of hierarchical regression analysis showed that classroom FLE significantly predicted learners’ WTC in English classrooms.

Chinese scholars have also investigated the relationship between classroom FLE and L2 WTC. Yin et al. (2020) [17] examined 128 Chinese university students and found a significant positive relationship between their classroom FLE and WTC in English classrooms. However, existing research on the relationship between classroom FLE and L2 WTC has often focused on broader academic emotions, such as the combined effects of English classroom anxiety and enjoyment, while studies specifically examining the relationship between classroom FLE and L2 WTC remain relatively limited.

To further understand the mechanisms underlying the relationship between FLE and L2 WTC, FLE may be linked to learners’ willingness to communicate by reducing communication-related anxiety and enhancing psychological safety. When learners experience positive emotions in the language classroom, they may pay less attention to potential language errors and negative evaluations from others, and instead become more engaged in language use and interaction. Such a relaxed emotional state can reduce learners’ psychological barriers to communication, encourage active participation, and enhance their willingness to express themselves in the target language.

In conclusion, students’ FLE is closely linked to their L2 WTC. Enhancing FLE through a positive and inclusive emotional support environment, meaningful and appropriately challenging communicative tasks, and supportive teacher feedback and interaction strategies can effectively promote learners’ L2 WTC. These findings highlight the importance of integrating emotional factors into EFL teaching and provide practical implications for fostering students’ communicative competence.

It should be acknowledged that the reviewed evidence discussed in this paper largely derives from English learning contexts in China and other EFL (English as a Foreign Language) settings, where learners have limited exposure to the target language outside the classroom. The proposed pedagogical strategies, therefore, may not be directly transferable to all L2 learning contexts, such as ESL (English as a Second Language) environments where learners are immersed in the target language community, or to the learning of languages other than English. Future research is needed to examine whether the observed relationships and the effectiveness of the suggested strategies hold across different instructional settings, target languages, and learner populations.