The role of EFL teachers’ emotional intelligence in their success

This study examines the relationship between EFL teachers’ emotional quotient (EQ) and their pedagogical success in language institutes. In addition, the role played by their years of teaching experience in their EQ and the relationship between their age and EQ were also studied. For this purpose, 89 EFL teachers were chosen from different language institutes in Mashhad, a city in north-eastern Iran. They were asked to complete Bar-On's ‘EQ test’. Simultaneously, a questionnaire entitled ‘Characteristics of successful EFL teachers’ was filled in by the students taught by each teacher with the aim of evaluating the teachers’ performance. Subsequent data analysis revealed that there is a significant relationship between teachers’ success and EQ. Furthermore, significant correlations were found between teachers’ EQ, their teaching experience, and their age. The implications of the study are discussed.