Mindfulness and Foreign Language Achievement: A Meta-Analytic Study on Interventions and Correlations

Muzaffer Pınar Babanoğlu^1*Erkan Hasan Atalmış²

• ¹Mersin University, Mersin, Türkiye
• ²Manisa Celal Bayar University, Manisa, Manisa, Türkiye

Background: Mindfulness has recently gained attention for its potential to improve learning and teaching in foreign language education, due to its ability to boost awareness and promote cognitive and emotional processes during language learning. To date, the significance of mindfulness has been investigated either through experimental studies with mindfulness interventions or correlational studies based on the connection between mindfulness scores and language learning. This article attempts to explore the overall effect sizes of (1) the impact of mindfulness interventions on foreign language achievement and (2) the relationship between mindfulness scale scores and language achievement through a meta-analytic review of the research perspective. Method: The meta-analysis includes experimental studies examining the effects of mindfulness interventions on foreign language performance, as well as correlational studies examining the association between mindfulness scores and various aspects of language proficiency. From 10 countries, a total of 14 studies with 1158 participants for interventions and 9 studies with 2162 participants for correlational studies were tested through statistical metaanalysis procedures. Results: The findings showed that the mean effect sizes were significant (Hedges' g = 0.67 for intervention studies, r between mindfulness scores and academic achievement = 0.22), demonstrating the efficiency of mindfulness. No significance was found in publication bias assessment and moderator analysis on regional effect.