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Enacting Trauma-Informed Pedagogy in EFL Classrooms: Mitigating Academic Anxiety And Fostering L2 Resilience Among Displaced Learners in Conflict Zones

Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: The contemporary geopolitical landscape has precipitated unprecedented levels of global student mobility, altering the demographic composition of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms. This study investigates emotional regulation among displaced learners in tertiary environments by applying Reinhard Pekrun’s Control-Value Theory (CVT) to trauma contexts. Utilizing a convergent parallel mixed-methods design, the research analyzes secondary, pre-anonymized quality assurance metrics from a quantitative cohort of displaced international students (N = 120) alongside qualitative transcripts from expert instructors (n = 15) across Central-Eastern Europe. Multiple linear regression demonstrates that structural predictability is the most potent negative predictor of Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety (FLCA), mitigating affective filter inflation and extraneous cognitive load. Conversely, choice-based assessment strongly predicts Foreign Language Enjoyment (FLE) by restoring learners' perceived control. Qualitative thematic analysis corroborates these vectors, illuminating the operational friction of syllabus de-escalation and material sanitization. Synthesizing these data, the study challenges trait-based anxieties, positioning emotional containment as a structural product of classroom architecture. A 4-pillar pedagogical playbook is presented to systematically scaffold L2 resilience in conflict-affected spaces. Note: This preprint represents the Author’s Original Manuscript (AOM) and is currently submitted for peer review in Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching (SSLLT).
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.22755469
Language: English
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7212665407
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