Although emotions constitute an integral aspect of teachers’ lives, emotions experienced by teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL) in higher education, settings are relatively under-researched. Through in-depth interviews, this study aims to capture a small cohort of nine EFL female teachers’ emotional experiences when teaching English-major students in a large public university in Saudi Arabia. Methods of inductive thematic analysis helped capture the participants’ emotional experiences during teaching. The analysis of their emotional experiences is informed by Benesch’s (2017) critical approach to teachers’ emotions. The study revealed that relationships in the classroom and the institutional system greatly influence how teachers construct, express, and communicate their emotions. Teachers’ passion for teaching, students’ classroom engagement, and students’ appreciation of teachers’ efforts triggered the teachers’ sense of happiness and pride and contributed to their occasional positive valence. However, teachers often experienced anger, frustration, demoralization, anxiety, and sadness as a result of feeling disempowered when dealing with students’ disruptive behaviours and constraining institutional policies. The study suggests that teachers’ emotions influenced their pedagogical practices and physical and psychological wellbeing. Therefore, to support teachers’ emotional competence, mitigate teachers’ emotional difficulties experienced during teaching, and enhance classroom teaching and learning, educational institutions, program leaders, and policymakers need to acknowledge the centrality of teachers’ emotions in the EFL classroom.

尽管情绪是教师生活中不可或缺的一部分，但在高等英语环境中，英语教师作为外语（EFL）所经历的情绪却相对缺乏研究。通过深入的访谈，本研究旨在捕获一小群来自九位EFL女教师在沙特阿拉伯大型公立大学教授英语专业的学生时的情感经历。归纳主题分析的方法有助于捕捉参与者在教学过程中的情感体验。Benesch（2017）对教师情绪的批判方法对他们的情绪体验进行了分析。这项研究表明，教室和制度体系中的关系极大地影响着教师如何建构，表达和交流自己的情感。老师对教学的热情，学生的课堂参与度，以及学生对老师的努力的赞赏，激发了老师的幸福感和自豪感，并为他们偶尔的正价做出了贡献。但是，由于在处理学生的破坏性行为和限制制度政策时，教师会感到无能为力，因此教师经常会感到愤怒，沮丧，挫败，士气低落，焦虑和悲伤。研究表明，教师的情感影响了他们的教学实践以及身心健康。因此，为了支持教师的情感能力，减轻教师在教学过程中遇到的情感困难并增强课堂教学，教育机构，项目负责人和决策者需要认识到教师情感在EFL课堂中的核心地位。学生对老师的努力表示赞赏，激发了老师的幸福感和自豪感，并为他们偶尔的正价做出了贡献。但是，由于在处理学生的破坏性行为和限制制度政策时，教师会感到无能为力，因此教师经常会感到愤怒，沮丧，挫败，士气低落，焦虑和悲伤。研究表明，教师的情感影响了他们的教学实践以及身心健康。因此，为了支持教师的情感能力，减轻教师在教学过程中遇到的情感困难并增强课堂教学，教育机构，项目负责人和决策者需要认识到教师情感在EFL课堂中的核心地位。学生对老师的努力表示赞赏，激发了老师的幸福感和自豪感，并为他们偶尔的正价做出了贡献。但是，由于在处理学生的破坏性行为和限制制度政策时，教师会感到无能为力，因此教师经常会感到愤怒，沮丧，挫败，士气低落，焦虑和悲伤。研究表明，教师的情感影响了他们的教学实践以及身心健康。因此，为了支持教师的情感能力，减轻教师在教学过程中遇到的情感困难并增强课堂教学，教育机构，项目负责人和决策者需要认识到教师情感在EFL课堂中的核心地位。