Hu Xiaoyu, Sidhu Gurnam Kaur, Lu Xin
Faculty of Education, Languages and Psychology, SEGi University, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia.
Front Psychol. 2022 Jul 7;13:935506. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.935506. eCollection 2022.
There is no denying that there is ample evidence of numerous factors that influence language learners' success. Recently, there is a critical call to embrace positive psychology that is more open and appreciative of the positive influences in learning English as a foreign language (EFL). Set against this burgeoning area of study in language learning, this paper puts forward the findings of a study that aimed to examine the mediating roles of grit and foreign language enjoyment in the relationship between growth mindset and English language performance. The study employed a correlational research design involving 388 EFL students from one university in China. The data were collected through a questionnaire and an English language performance test. Using the structural equation modeling, this study found that the association between growth mindset and English language performance was partially mediated by grit and foreign language enjoyment. This indicates that students with a growth mindset tend to possess a higher level of grit as well as experience more enjoyment in learning English, which consequently can lead to students becoming more successful language learners. These findings provide significant implications for language teachers, educational material developers, and school administrators in China to embrace the affective domain postulated by positive psychology.
不可否认，有大量证据表明众多因素会影响语言学习者的成功。最近，有一种关键呼吁，要接纳积极心理学，这种心理学对将英语作为外语（EFL）学习中的积极影响持更开放和欣赏的态度。针对语言学习这一新兴研究领域，本文提出了一项研究的结果，该研究旨在考察毅力和外语学习乐趣在成长型思维与英语语言表现之间关系中的中介作用。该研究采用了相关研究设计，涉及来自中国一所大学的388名英语作为外语的学生。数据通过问卷调查和英语语言表现测试收集。通过结构方程模型，本研究发现成长型思维与英语语言表现之间的关联部分由毅力和外语学习乐趣介导。这表明具有成长型思维的学生往往拥有更高水平的毅力，并且在学习英语时体验到更多乐趣，这进而可以使学生成为更成功的语言学习者。这些发现对中国的语言教师、教材开发者和学校管理人员接纳积极心理学所假定的情感领域具有重要意义。
