Emotional Intelligence of Students as a Condition for Learning a Foreign Language

The article discusses the issues of emotional intelligence (EI) formation and its impact on the acquisition of a foreign language by primary school students, which are currently insufficiently studied. The relevance of the topic is due to the insufficient study of the role of EI in the educational process, despite its importance in the context of globalization and increasing demands on intercultural communication. The purpose of this article is to identify the features of EI among students and to substantiate it as a condition for effective learning of a foreign language. Research objectives are as follows: to define and characterize the concept of “emotional intelligence”, to reveal the relationship between the EI of students and their learning of a foreign language. The research methods such as the analysis of scientific literature, questionnaires in two languages are used, revealing the assessment of various aspects of EI, ensuring the reliability of the content and compliance with the objectives of the study, semi-structured interviews. The questionnaire, based on a 5-point Likert scale, has assessed aspects of emotional intelligence such as motivation, self-confidence, empathy, and emotional openness. Qualitative data have been processed using the content analysis method. The results of the study revealed a positive correlation between emotional intelligence and learning a foreign language, in which the formed EI becomes one of the conditions for effective learning of a foreign language. The interview participants confirmed that developed EI helps to reduce stress, increase self-regulation and create a favorable learning environment. However, the limitations of the study (small sample, subjectivity of the data) indicate the need for further research involving more diverse groups. The author emphasizes that further research on this issue will be of great importance for enriching the theory of language learning, the content of pedagogy and the development of educational programs. The practical significance of the work is to substantiate the integration of emotional intelligence development into educational programs in foreign languages. The prospects of the research are related to the development of pedagogical strategies aimed at emotional competencies formation among students.