The emotional landscape of applied linguistics in digital spaces: Theories, research, and praxis

In this Editorial, we introduce the Special Issue, emphasizing the need to critically explore how digital learning environments affect language educators’ and learners’ emotional experiences. With digital technologies increasingly integrated into language education, emotions such as anxiety, frustration, enthusiasm, and isolation have gained prominence, reshaping pedagogical approaches and interactions. The papers included in this issue draw upon diverse theoretical frameworks and methodologies, providing empirical and conceptual insights into emotional challenges and opportunities faced in digitally mediated classrooms. Topics addressed range from learners’ coping strategies and emotional regulation to educators’ emotion(al) labor, emotions associated with peer feedback modalities, intercultural communication, and AI-driven conversational agents. Collectively, these contributions highlight the necessity of understanding emotional dynamics to enhance language education’s effectiveness, inclusivity, and sustainability. By foregrounding emotions within digital applied linguistics, this Special Issue underscores their pivotal role in shaping future research, policy, and practice in the field.