The Emotional Edge: Investigating the Role of Trait Emotional Intelligence in Emotional Language Use among Saudi EFL Learners

Abstract

Emotional expression is a central dimension of second language learning, yet little is known about how learners encode emotions lexically in L2 writing or how individual traits contribute to this process. This study examined the relationship between trait emotional intelligence (EI), narrative theme, and English proficiency in shaping the emotional vocabulary used by Saudi university students when recounting autobiographical experiences of guilt and loneliness. Ninety-three participants completed the TEIQue-SF and produced two 20-minute narratives in English, which were analysed for emotional language using SEANCE, a natural language processing tool, alongside thematic coding. By exploring how EI and narrative content intersect with language use, this research highlights the role of personal dispositions and memory focus in the development of learners’ expressive capacity in L2 writing.