<p>With the affective turn in applied linguistics, growing scholarly attention has been directed toward EFL teachers’ positive psychology. However, research on how teachers enact positive psychology in the context of young learners remains limited, despite this group’s distinctive characteristics in foreign language learning. This qualitative case study draws on data from semi-structured interviews, classroom observations and stimulated recall interviews with two Chinese primary school EFL teachers to explore their emotional experiences and emotional competence in teaching. Thematic analysis was conducted, informed by Control-Value theory, the Bar-On model of emotional intelligence, young learners’ characteristics and collectivist cultural perspectives. The findings indicate that the participating teachers experienced positive emotions (e.g., enjoyment and pride) arising from cognitive consistency and community acknowledgment (e.g., parents’ praise, students’ positive feedback ). They also actively employed emotional competence to support young learners, particularly through intrapersonal emotional awareness (e.g., assertiveness, impulse control) and interpersonal emotional engagement (e.g., empathy and emotion management). The conceptual framework captures EFL teachers’ positive psychology across eight factors, integrating achievement-related emotions and emotional competence in young learner contexts. It also offers valuable implications for teacher education and school leadership, particularly in fostering teachers’ emotional competence and supporting emotionally responsive pedagogical practices.</p>