Mapping the Emotional Landscape of SLA: A Two-Decade Bibliometric Exploration (2000–2024)

As emotional factors gain increasing prominence in second language acquisition (SLA), few studies have offered a comprehensive bibliometric synthesis of this evolving research area. To address this gap, the present study analyzed 931 articles indexed in the Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) from 2000 to 2024. A combination of bibliometric software tools including VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and Biblioshiny were applied to examine patterns in publication output, contributing journals and authors, national distributions, keyword networks, and emerging thematic directions. Furthermore, influential authors and core journals were identified using Lotka’s law, which highlights the disproportionate contribution of a small group of researchers, and Bradford’s law, which identifies the journals that publish the majority of relevant studies. Currently, research in this field is structured around four major themes: affective variables and learner behavior; the integration of positive psychology constructs; individual differences and emotional performance; and the neurocognitive perspective of language learners’ emotions. Looking ahead, the evolutionary trajectory reveals a shift from a predominant focus on negative emotions toward a more balanced, multifaceted perspective. This study aims to contribute a comprehensive bibliometric perspective to the growing body of literature on the emotional dimensions of second language learning.