Against the backdrop of deepening globalization, English has become a core competency for college students. However, traditional college English teaching is limited by its long-standing focus on knowledge transmission and exam training, while neglecting students’ emotional cultivation and psychological growth. This leads to weak intrinsic learning motivation, low classroom participation, and widespread learning anxiety among students—failing to meet the new-era talent demand for "language proficiency + psychological resilience".

As a transformative psychological trend, positive psychology focuses on cultivating human positive qualities and potential. This paper sorts out its core connotation and theoretical foundations (e.g., Self-Determination Theory, Broaden-and-Build Theory), constructs an analytical framework for college English teaching, and combines empirical data from Xuzhou University of Technology and other domestic colleges to analyze its multi-dimensional impact on students’ English learning.

Research shows that integrating positive psychology into teaching effectively stimulates intrinsic motivation by satisfying students’ needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness; optimizes classroom atmosphere, reduces learning anxiety, and cultivates positive traits such as optimism and resilience. This study aims to provide references for college English teaching reform, advocate the transformation from "knowledge-centered" to "student-centered" positive education, and help cultivate international talents with solid language skills and sound positive psychological literacy.