Positive institutions for language learning

Abstract Positive psychology has been flourishing within applied linguistics, providing new insights into the role of concepts such as positive emotion, grit, and well‐being. The founders of positive psychology envisioned three pillars on which it stood, positive emotions, character traits, and positive institutions. Relative to emotions and traits, institutions have been the somewhat neglected pillar, though there is a robust but disjointed literature to be found. This article serves to introduce a discussion of the role of institutions in teacher and learner well‐being from a positive psychology perspective and outline the scope of the special issue. A review of the positive psychology of institutions focuses on characteristics of organizations and individual well‐being. Each of the contributors to the special issue address their particular context, using a variety of mostly qualitative methods. The present paper provides an integration of the themes across the special issue and offer suggestions for the way forward.