Exploring Senior High School Students’ English Academic Resilience in the Chinese Context

Honggang Liu; Xueke Han

doi:10.1515/CJAL-2022-0105

Article

Exploring Senior High School Students’ English Academic Resilience in the Chinese Context

Honggang Liu
Honggang LIU works as a full professor of applied linguistics at the Department of English, School of Foreign Languages, Northeast Normal University (NENU). His research focuses on applied linguistics and language education with close attention on the areas of the psychology for language learning and teaching, social class and foreign language learning, and language teacher education.
and Xueke Han
Xueke HAN obtained her MA in TESOL in the Department of English, School of Foreign Languages, Northeast Normal University (NENU). She is currently working as an English teacher in Changping No. 2 High School of Beijing. Her research interest is psychology of language learning.

Published/Copyright: February 18, 2022

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From the journal Chinese Journal of Applied Linguistics Volume 45 Issue 1

Abstract

While academic resilience has been a hot topic in positive psychology, there is still scope for researchers to explore it in the field of applied linguistics. Drawing on the framework of L2 (second language) learners’ resilience proposed by T. Y. Kim and Y. K. Kim (2017), the current study aims to examine senior high school students’ English academic resilience (EAR) and its relationship to their English achievement (EA). This study comprises a survey of 454 senior high school students. Follow-up interviews were carried out to triangulate the quantitative findings. The descriptive results demonstrate that students’ EAR is above the average, and its five subscales obtain medium to medium-higher levels due to the mean scores. It shows that students have good EAR that enables them to deal with academic adversity. The correlational analysis shows a low positive correlation between EAR and EA in general, and the subscales share medium to low correlations with students’ EA. EAR has a certain influence on EA, but the correlation may be influenced by other learner variables. Based on the results, suggestions on improving students’ EAR are provided.

Keywords: senior high school students; English academic resilience; English achievement

About the authors

Honggang Liu

Honggang LIU works as a full professor of applied linguistics at the Department of English, School of Foreign Languages, Northeast Normal University (NENU). His research focuses on applied linguistics and language education with close attention on the areas of the psychology for language learning and teaching, social class and foreign language learning, and language teacher education.

Xueke Han

Xueke HAN obtained her MA in TESOL in the Department of English, School of Foreign Languages, Northeast Normal University (NENU). She is currently working as an English teacher in Changping No. 2 High School of Beijing. Her research interest is psychology of language learning.

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by Project of Discipline Innovation and Advancement (PODIA) —Foreign Language Education Studies at Beijing Foreign Studies University (Grant number: 2020SYLZDXM011), Beijing.

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Appendix A: Items of English Academic Resilience Questionnaire

1.	I first contemplate diverse possible solutions in order to solve English-learning difficulties.
2.	I believe that I am able to control my emotions when exposed to English-learning difficulties.
3.	I can break through any distractions when having important things to do immediately.
4.	I have few things to feel grateful for.
5.	I am satisfied with my English study.
6.	I think my hard work always pays off in English learning.
7.	I think most of the people that I regularly meet would come to dislike me.
8.	I can recognize how people feel by their facial expressions in English communication.
9.	When I have a problem in English learning, I try to solve it after reflecting on the causes of the problem.
10.	When I think of something, I know how it affects my feelings.
11.	I am aware of what I am thinking no matter how hard the situation is.
12.	If I write down all of the things that I feel grateful for, there will be a long list.
13.	I am satisfied with my life.
14.	I find it a good attitude to believe that “I can solve any difficult problems in English learning.”
15.	I have few friends to talk to with an open mind.
16.	I am good at finding the right English words for what I would like to express.
17.	When people are sad, angry, or embarrassed, I can find out what they are thinking about.
18.	I am aware of what is wrong in most circumstances.
19.	I can regulate my feelings when having discussions with my family or friends regarding sensitive social issues.
20.	I easily give up when English learning goes wrong.
21.	There are few things that I feel grateful for in English learning.
22.	I have most of the things that I find important in my life.
23.	I am sure that my English learning will be fine even in difficult situations.
24.	In English learning, I have few friends to help each other out.
25.	In English communication, I can lead conversations well in accordance with a specific atmosphere or interlocutor.
26.	When my friends are angry, I readily find out the reason for that.
27.	In English learning, I can adjust my emotions well in a short time.
28.	I seek various ways to achieve my goal even in the face of pressure in English learning.
29.	I see English learning difficulties as challenges.
30.	I help other friends who have difficulties studying English.
31.	I seek help from my teachers when I have a problem in English learning.
32.	I try to stay positive even though studying English may be difficult.
33.	I calm down first when exposed to English-learning difficulties.
34.	I don’t let a bad English mark affect my confidence.

Appendix B: Interview

1.	What do you think of the setbacks, pressure or challenges in English learning?
2.	Do you have the experiences of successfully coping with setbacks, pressure or challenges in learning English?
3.	Do you ask people around you for help when you have difficulties in learning English? (Who do you ask for help? What kind of help?)
4.	Have you ever been asked for help? (What did you do?)
5.	How did you feel when your English performance was not satisfying? (How did you adjust your mentality?)
6.	What problems have you met in English communication? Do you pay attention to other people’s feelings or thoughts? (How do you recognize them?)
7.	Do you have any plans or goals for English learning? (If so, can you achieve your goals? What factors will disturb you?)
8.	Are you satisfied with your current state of English learning? What are you satisfied (or unsatisfied) with?

Published Online: 2022-02-18

Published in Print: 2022-02-23

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/CJAL-2022-0105

Keywords for this article

senior high school students; English academic resilience; English achievement