Musing over the role of emotions to promote the exodus from the Comfort Zone in English language teaching and learning at a state university in Brazil

ABSTRACT This paper focuses on the development of an empirical study over the Comfort Zone ( 2004; 2006; 2018), shedding light on the role played by emotions in empowering learners to confidently interact in English classes at a public university in Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil. The theoretical framework was based on the concept of the Comfort Zone (2004; 2006; 2018); and that of emotions (ARAGÃO, 2004; 2011; BARCELOS, 2018; MATURANA, 2002; ZEMBYLAS 2004; 2018). This qualitative and interpretive study (DENZIN; LINCOLN, 2006; LINCOLN; GUBA, 2006) used an individual questionnaire, field observations, individual participants’ reports of observation of classes and peers’ performance, individual exploratory conversations and an ethnographic group interview (ERICKSON, 1986) for debriefing, and a final individual diary of participants as tools for data collection. Results display a range of emotions impacting learners’ performance in interaction.1