Emotional, Attitudinal, and Sociobiographical Sources of Flow in Online and In-Person EFL Classrooms.

This study examines how three learner emotions—Foreign Language Enjoyment (FLE), Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety (FLCA), and Foreign Language Boredom (FLB)—predict the proportion of class time spent in a state of flow among 165 Arab and Kurdish English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students in both in-person and online classes. Results indicate that Personal FLE, a dimension of FLE reflecting individual satisfaction and interest, is the strongest positive predictor of flow, while FLB is the strongest negative predictor; FLCA, although negatively correlated with flow, does not significantly predict flow when accounting for the other emotions. Additionally, learners' nationality and attitudes toward English and their English teacher significantly influence flow, with teacher appreciation having a notable positive effect in both modalities. The findings suggest that flow in EFL learning depends largely on managing enjoyment and boredom rather than anxiety, and that these emotional dynamics operate similarly in both physical and virtual classroom settings.