A new look at language mindset, achievement goals and L2 emotions: the case of Chinese university students

Drawing on the Language Mindset Meaning System (LMMS) framework, the study investigated how language mindsets (growth vs. fixed) influence the adoption of the four achievement goals, and how they subsequently shape second/foreign language (L2) learners’ emotions (i.e. enjoyment and anxiety) in the process of learning English as a foreign language (EFL) in China. A total of 413 Chinese university students participated in a questionnaire survey. Path analyses showed that a growth language mindset had a strong positive impact on enjoyment and a moderate negative impact on anxiety. Conversely, a fixed language mindset had a moderate positive effect on anxiety. Results also showed that mastery-approach, mastery-avoidance and performance-avoidance goals mediated the relationship between language mindsets and the two L2 emotions. These findings offer profound insights into the intricate web of relationships among language mindsets, achievement goals and L2 emotions, instantiating the LMMS framework in the specific EFL context. These insights hold practical implications for educational practitioners seeking to enhance learners’ emotional well-being.