Investigating the Emotional Experiences in Shadow Language Education: A Mixed-Methods Study of Secondary School Students’ Enjoyment and Boredom

Abstract

English private tutoring (EPT) has expanded rapidly across post-Soviet contexts, but students’ emotional experiences within this sector remain underexplored. Drawing on Control-Value Theory and positive psychology in second language acquisition, this mixed-methods study examines enjoyment, boredom and behavioural engagement among Grade 11 students attending EPT in Kazakhstan. Quantitative data were collected from 640 students across 8 tutorial centres using validated measures of emotions, engagement, learner attitudes and tutor-related practices, complemented by focus group interviews with 32 students. Results reveal that students generally reported high enjoyment, moderate engagement and low boredom. Enjoyment was associated with engagement, positive attitudes towards English, perceived competence, and tutor enthusiasm and friendliness, whereas boredom was negatively associated with engagement and with less favourable attitudes towards English and the learning environment. Tutor type also mattered, with non-Kazakhstani and highly qualified tutors associated with higher enjoyment. Qualitative findings indicate that enjoyment stemmed from supportive relationships, meaningful use of English and future-oriented goals, while boredom emerged from repetitive, exam-driven practices. The study suggests that EPT functions as an affectively significant learning environment rather than a purely instrumental service, extending research on shadow language education and highlighting implications for student well-being, sector regulation and formal schooling improvement.