A Visualization Analysis of Foreign Language Enjoyment Research Based on CiteSpace (2015-2024)

Driven by the research on emotions in positive psychology and educational psychology, foreign language enjoyment (FLE), a positive emotion in foreign language learning, has become a research hotspot. This paper takes the relevant literature in the Web of Science Core Collection database from 2015 to 2024 as the data source and uses CiteSpace software for visual analysis to explore the development trends, hotspots, and frontiers of FLE research. The study indicates a consistent increase in the volume of research articles on FLE over the last ten years. A core author group has not yet been formed, and the cooperation among authors and institutions needs to be strengthened. The research concentrates on the correlations between FLE and individual variables, including anxiety, motivation, willingness to communicate, and classroom social climate, etc., alongside its influence on learning outcomes. The research frontiers have undergone a transformation from focusing on internal factors to the interaction between FLE and external factors. Future research can strengthen interdisciplinary cooperation, expand the scope of research subjects, apply new technologies and longitudinal research designs, and focus on teaching practice to promote the further development of FLE research.