Uncovering emotional experiences and emotional labour of EFL writing tutors in China’s shadow education: A Perezhivanie perspective

This study investigates the emotional experiences and emotional labour of Chinese EFL writing tutors in shadow education (SEd) through the lens of Perezhivanie . Data were collected from four tutors through reflective journals, semi-structured interviews, and student essays with tutor feedback. Findings reveal that EFL writing tutors’ emotional experiences are contextually situated and dynamically shaped, reflecting their interpretations of dramatic emotional events in teaching. Negative Perezhivaniya , encompassing boredom, exhaustion, and fear/anxiety, were elicited by writing-focused instruction, exam-driven curricula, parental scrutiny, and commercial pressures, whereas positive Perezhivaniya , including enjoyment, gratitude, and being emotionally moved, emerged from pedagogical autonomy, material and symbolic rewards, and recognition of social identity. Tutors employed surface and deep acting to regulate negative emotional experiences, with surface acting maintaining client relationships and deep acting supporting relational engagement and professional growth. The study advances research on teacher emotions by showing that writing tutors’ emotions are co-constructed through pedagogical practices, marketised educational conditions, and tutors’ interpretations of emotionally significant events. Applying Perezhivanie provides a context-sensitive account of writing-related emotional labour in SEd. The findings also highlight the need for tutor education and institutional support to recognise emotional labour as a core dimension of tutors’ professional learning and wellbeing.