Emotional literacy is an important aspect of children’s holistic development, as it enables them
to recognise, understand, express, and regulate emotions while fostering positive interpersonal
relationships. At the same time, contemporary approaches to early foreign language learning
emphasise the importance of creating a supportive and emotionally safe learning environment
in which picture books and a story-based approach play a significant role. The aim of this
master’s thesis was to investigate how the use of English picture books influences the
development of emotional awareness and the acquisition of English emotion-related
vocabulary among pupils in the first triad of primary school.
The theoretical part presents the concepts of emotions, emotional literacy, early foreign
language learning, the role of emotions in language learning, and the educational value of
picture books, the story-based approach, and dialogic reading in English language teaching.
Particular attention is given to the role of illustrations, the criteria for selecting picture books,
and their potential for fostering emotional literacy.
The empirical part is based on a mixed-method research approach, incorporating both
quantitative and qualitative data analysis. The study was conducted in a first-triad primary
school classroom. Data were collected through a pre-test and a post-test assessing pupils’
knowledge of English emotion-related vocabulary, classroom observations, an analysis of the
implemented lessons, and a focus group interview conducted after the teaching unit.
The findings indicate that pupils had some prior knowledge of basic English emotion
vocabulary before the lessons, while their vocabulary knowledge and use improved noticeably
after the implementation of the teaching unit. Pupils actively participated in the lessons and
responded particularly positively to dialogic reading, discussions, role-play, and movement-
based activities. The focus group interview further revealed that pupils perceived the lessons
as enjoyable, engaging, and diverse, and expressed a wish to experience similar lessons in the
future. The results suggest that carefully selected English picture books can make a contribution
to the development of emotional literacy, the enrichment of English emotion-related
vocabulary, and the promotion of a positive attitude towards learning English in the first years
of primary education.
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