Student engagement research in the field of English language teaching (ELT) has substantially increased in recent years. However, there is a research gap concerning the up-to-date analysis of the current state of student engagement research in ELT. This study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the historical evolution of trends in published articles, the most influential journals, leading researchers, contributing countries and institutions, impactful articles, emerging themes and methodological characteristics of student engagement research in ELT through bibliometric and content analysis. Data for the study were gathered from 175 research articles retrieved from Web of Science and Scopus databases. The findings indicate a growing interest in student engagement research in ELT, with a particular focus on learner psychology and writing skills, while reading, listening, and speaking received considerably less attention. The findings from the study offer resources, research ideas, avenues for publication, professional development, and collaboration.