Content area
Background
Students’ psychological wellness is one of the key elements that improve their well-being and shape their academic progress in the realm of language learning. Among various strategies, physical exercise emerges as an effective approach, allowing learners to manage their emotions considerably.
Methods
Employing a quasi-experimental research design, this study examines the impact of a three-month physical running exercise intervention on emotional regulation behaviors among L1 (Arabic language) and L2 (English as a foreign language learning) students. Data was collected at three (pre-test, mid-test, and post-test) intervals, focusing cognitive reappraisal (CR) and expressive suppression (ES) the key constructs of emotional regulation.
Findings
The results showed that the emotional regulation abilities of both groups were considerably impacted by the physical running exertion and differed significantly, with students’ CR skills significantly improving and their ES decreasing over time. However, no significant interaction effect between time and (L1 and L2) groups’ CR was observed, suggesting that physical exercise universally benefits cognitive reappraisal regardless of the language learning context. Conversely, a significant interaction effect was observed in students’ ES, with L2 students experiencing more reduction compared to their L1 counterparts, highlighting the unique emotional challenges faced by L2 learners and the effectiveness of physical activity in mitigating these challenges.
Conclusion
The results highlight the importance of physical exercise in enhancing emotional regulation abilities among students, particularly in a second language learning context. Given this, regular physical activity programs should be incorporated into educational curricula to support students’ emotional well-being and academic success. It further offers insightful recommendations for teachers, students, administrators, and policymakers to optimize physical exercise integration in higher education.
Details
Behavior;
Exercise;
Students;
Anxiety;
Physical fitness;
Language acquisition;
Emotional regulation;
Intervention;
Higher education;
Classroom communication;
Educational activities;
Mindfulness;
Emotions;
Learning environment;
Motivation;
Stress;
Arabic language;
Well being;
Mental health;
Independent study;
Learning;
English as a second language instruction;
Cognitive appraisal;
Physical education;
Policy making;
Quasi-experimental methods;
Cognition;
Self control;
Emotional well being;
Comparative analysis;
English as a second language;
Teachers;
Physical activity;
Foreign languages;
Tests;
Research design;
Curricula;
Second language learning;
English language;
Ability;
Administrators