Exploring the Relationship between Mindfulness and Second Language Teaching

Fano-Trabanco, Alba

Exploring the Relationship between Mindfulness and Second Language Teaching

dc.contributor.advisor	George, Angela
dc.contributor.advisor	O'Brien, Mary Grantham
dc.contributor.author	Fano-Trabanco, Alba
dc.contributor.committeemember	Bohac-Clarke, Veronika
dc.contributor.committeemember	Dressler, Roswita Aleida Helene
dc.contributor.committeemember	Aukerman, Maren Songmy
dc.contributor.committeemember	Davin, Kristin
dc.date	2024-05
dc.date.accessioned	2024-01-26T19:06:27Z
dc.date.available	2024-01-26T19:06:27Z
dc.date.issued	2024-01-15
dc.description.abstract	Previous research on mindfulness in the second language (L2) context took root in the mid-2010s (e.g., Fallah, 2016) with the focus of study primarily on the benefits of mindfulness on L2 learners. However, only since the early 2020s has research started to focus on how mindfulness affects the L2 teacher, with some theoretical studies addressing its positive influence on the learner-teacher relationship (Song & He, 2021) and on teachers’ identity and motivation (Zhu, 2022). Emerging experimental research relates teachers’ mindfulness levels to their well-being (Pan & Liu, 2022) and to job sustainability (Yuan et al., 2020). Using novel approaches, the current project aims to shed light on the views and experiences that teachers have regarding mindfulness in L2 teaching. This thesis consists of three studies. In the first, a survey was developed to gather the views of 98 teachers, primarily located in the USA and Canada, on the integration of mindfulness in L2 teaching and the mindfulness practices that some of them bring to the classroom. The findings showed a preference for breathing practices. Teachers’ disapproval of mindfulness integration mainly stemmed from their considering mindfulness to be either inappropriate or an impediment to teaching and learning. In the second study, mindfulness practices in and out of the classroom of two L2 university professors in the USA are analyzed. The framework used to examine the mindfulness experiences as related to their well-being resulted in several similarities between both professors’ use of mindfulness to enhance their well-being. In the third and final study, an 11-week mindfulness intervention on the mindfulness levels and teaching practice of seven university L2 instructors located in Canada resulted in an increase in the mindfulness levels of the L2 instructors after the intervention. This thesis has implications for L2 teachers, L2 learners, and administrators.
dc.identifier.citation	Fano-Trabanco, A. (2024). Exploring the relationship between mindfulness and second language teaching (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.
dc.identifier.uri	https://hdl.handle.net/1880/118025
dc.language.iso	en
dc.publisher.faculty	Graduate Studies
dc.publisher.institution	University of Calgary
dc.rights	University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.
dc.subject	mindfulness
dc.subject	contemplative pedagogy
dc.subject	second language teaching
dc.subject	teacher well-being
dc.subject	positive psychology
dc.subject	PERMA
dc.subject	Langerian mindfulness
dc.subject	journaling
dc.subject	meditation
dc.subject	mindfulness intervention
dc.subject.classification	Education--Bilingual and Multicultural
dc.subject.classification	Education--Curriculum and Instruction
dc.subject.classification	Education--Teacher Training
dc.subject.classification	Educational Psychology
dc.subject.classification	Language
dc.subject.classification	Education--Higher
dc.title	Exploring the Relationship between Mindfulness and Second Language Teaching
dc.type	doctoral thesis
thesis.degree.discipline	Languages, Literatures and Cultures
thesis.degree.grantor	University of Calgary
thesis.degree.name	Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
ucalgary.thesis.accesssetbystudent	I do not require a thesis withhold – my thesis will have open access and can be viewed and downloaded publicly as soon as possible.