<![CDATA[Vocabulary acquisition is influenced by cognitive, instructional, and affective factors. However, limited research has explored how learners experience the role of positive mood in vocabulary learning, particularly among Indonesian junior high school EFL learners. This study explored students’ lived experiences of positive mood during English vocabulary learning at SMP Negeri Model Terpadu Madani, Palu, Indonesia. Using a qualitative phenomenological design, data were collected from 25 Grade VIII students through classroom observations and open-ended questionnaires, while four students participated in semi-structured interviews. The data were analyzed using phenomenological procedures adapted from Moustakas (1994). Five themes emerged: positive mood and student engagement, vocabulary retention and recall, confidence in vocabulary use, supportive classroom activities, and the challenges posed by negative emotions. The findings indicate that students perceived positive emotional experiences as supporting concentration, participation, memory, and willingness to use English vocabulary. Games, storytelling, collaborative activities, and supportive teacher behavior were identified as important features of an emotionally supportive learning environment. By focusing on students’ lived experiences, this study extends the discussion of positive psychology in second language acquisition to the emotional dimensions of vocabulary learning in an Indonesian junior high school context. The findings suggest that teachers shoul]]>
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