Laughing it Off or Leaning on Peers? The Role of Humor and Peer Support in Mitigating Learning Disengagement among Vietnamese EFL Students
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This study examines how Vietnamese students learning English as a foreign language use humor and peer support to cope with a lack of engagement in their studies. In many classes, students do not exhibit clear pressure despite low levels of participation. This phenomenon raises questions about the role of positive emotions in the learning context. The study uses a qualitative approach. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with seven students at a college in Ho Chi Minh City. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify behavioral patterns and how students interpret their experiences. The results reveal three main trends. First, students use humor to alleviate feelings of frustration when they do not understand the material or can’t keep up with the content. Second, interaction with peers helps maintain a relaxed atmosphere in class, even when they are not focused on academic tasks. Third, the combination of these two factors creates a state of emotional stability but is accompanied by low levels of learning engagement. The results show that positive emotions do not always lead to positive learning behavior. In some cases, students prioritize maintaining a comfortable feeling over improving academic performance. The research provides a learner’s perspective and clarifies how they adapt to a lack of engagement in foreign language classes.
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