Abstract

Gratitude journaling interventions have repeatedly been shown to enhance wellbeing when conducted in participants’ first language (Emmons & McCullough, 2003; Sansone & Sansone, 2010), yet no studies to date have examined these practices in second language (L2) contexts. This mixed-methods quasi-experimental study investigated the effects of a six-week gratitude journaling intervention on adult L2 English writers enrolled in an intensive English program. Eleven writing classes (N = 183) were randomly assigned to either a gratitude journaling group or a neutral-events control group, with 123 participants completing all four stages of data collection. Trait gratitude and subjective wellbeing were measured pre-intervention, post-intervention, and at two delayed posttests using the GQ-6 (McCullough et al., 2002) and the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS; Diener et al., 1985). Linear mixed-effects analyses revealed no significant interaction between group and time for either variable; however, time emerged as a significant main effect. Participants in the gratitude condition showed a significant long-term increase in life satisfaction, but a significant decrease in trait gratitude. This decrease is unexpected given previous literature has shown gratitude journaling interventions can increase trait gratitude (Deichman & Warren, 2025; Ko et al., 2021). English proficiency did not significantly mediate these outcomes. Semi-structured interviews with participating teachers illuminated factors shaping the intervention’s impact, including students’ difficulty expressing emotions in the L2, perceived repetitiveness of the prompt, and the role of journaling in developing writing fluency and classroom connection. These findings suggest that gratitude journaling in an L2 can promote aspects of subjective wellbeing but may also introduce linguistic and affective constraints that influence how learners perceive and express gratitude. Implications for integrating positive psychology practices in L2 writing pedagogy and recommendations for future research are discussed.

Degree

MA

College and Department

Humanities; Linguistics

Rights

https://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/

Date Submitted

2026-04-23

Document Type

Thesis

Keywords

gratitude journaling, L2 writing, wellbeing, trait gratitude, positive psychology

Language

english

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