In foreign/second language (L2) research there has been a burgeoning acknowledgement of emotions as distinctive learner disparities that exert a crucial influence on L2 acquisition (e.g., Jiang & Dewaele, 2019; Lan et al., 2023; Sadoughi & Hejazi, 2021; Tahmouresi & Papi, 2021; Zaccoletti et al., 2020; Zhao & Yang, 2023). Boredom, among others, is one such negative psychological and emotional state which is frequently experienced by students at different educational levels (Nett et al., 2010; Pekrun et al., 2010; Tze et al., 2016). This study explored the lived experiences of boredom in online and face-to-face English classes to uncover the causes of and solutions to this negative emotion to enhance the students’ willingness to attend class (WTAC). Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 84 secondary-school students in Iran. The results of thematic analysis using MAXQDA (version 2022) revealed that (1) internet connection problems, lack of interactive features, task difficulty and overload, peer interruptions, uninteresting materials, and boring learning environment were the main sources of boredom in online classes; (2) ineffective teaching methodology, tedious materials, low teacher enthusiasm, insufficient break time, and too much noise were the key antecedents of boredom in face-to-face classes; (3) improving internet connection, improving teaching quality, using engaging materials, more teacher care, and creating motivating learning environment were among the students’ suggestions to reduce boredom in online classes and increase WTAC; (4) having fun, more teacher support, maintaining an enjoyable atmosphere, and not overcrowding the classes were the participants’ solutions for face-to-face classes; and (5) most of the students preferred face-to-face English classes for being more effective, interactive, enjoyable, and helpful. The implications of the study for teachers, materials designers, and policy makers are discussed.
