Despite growing calls to humanize materials for English language teaching (ELT), the emotional dimension of materials design remains largely overlooked, limiting their potential to foster affective engagement and support emotionally rich learning experiences that contribute to learners’ holistic development. This article proposes an emotional design framework for ELT materials, which draws on Norman’s Emotional Design Theory and empirical findings of emotional design in multimedia learning, and is informed by research in ELT materials, language education and applied linguistics. The framework outlines three levels of emotional design: visceral, behavioral, and reflective, to guide the development of ELT materials that stimulate the senses, promote meaningful and interactive language learning, and encourage personal reflection. To support implementation, a triadic model of teacher–student–material interaction is introduced alongside three key dimensions for teacher practices: mastering emotional design principles for materials development, developing emotional intelligence for effective classroom implementation, and cultivating teacher–student partnerships for continuous materials improvement. The study offers theoretical insight and practical guidance for designing emotionally engaging materials that promote more humanistic and meaningful language learning experiences.
Diao et al. (2026) studied this question.