Contemplative practices in foreign language teaching: a systematic review
Humanities and Social Sciences Communications June 20, 2026 Zdena Kráľová, Gregor Vnučko, Gabor Pintes
A systematic review of seven studies found that contemplative practices—such as mindfulness, breathing meditation, reflective journaling, guided imagery, and dialog activities—can enhance academic achievement, classroom climate, learner motivation, resilience, and attitudes toward language learning in foreign language teaching. In several quasi-experimental studies, intervention groups improved speaking fluency and willingness to communicate compared with control groups, but results for foreign language anxiety, self-regulation, and critical thinking were inconsistent or statistically non-significant. The evidence is limited by small sample sizes (ranging from 11 to 249 participants), predominantly non-randomized designs, and methodological diversity. The review identifies significant research gaps, including no European studies and a lack of long-term or large-scale investigations.