Exploring the mediating role of boredom in the relationship between ideal L2 self and engagement in Chinese as a foreign language learning
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Xiao Xie
Xiao Xie is a Post-doctoral Visiting Fellow in the Faculty of Arts and Education, University of Auckland, New Zealand. He has a PhD in Linguistics and English Language from Universiti Putra Malaysia. He also holds a BA in English Language and Literature from Sichuan University and an MA from Sun Yat-sen University, China. He takes a lively interest in learning-oriented assessment, L2 writing, positive psychology, and AI integration into language education. His recent publications include
Arab World English Journal, Higher Education, ASEAN Journal of Applied Linguistics, International Journal of Applied Linguistics, and chapters in edited books by Springer.
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Lawrence Jun Zhang
Lawrence Jun Zhang, PhD, is Professor of Linguistics-in-Education and Associate Dean for the Faculty of Arts and Education, University of Auckland, New Zealand. His major interests and publications are on learner metacognition, L2 reading-writing development, writing teacher assessment literacy, and positive psychology in language education. His publications have appeared in journals such as
Applied Linguistics (Oxford),Applied Linguistics Review (De Gruyter),British Journal of Educational Psychology (Wiley),Computers and Education (Eslevier),Computers in Human Behavior (Elsevier),Discourse Processes (Routledge),Instructional Science (Springer),Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development (Routledge),Journal of Second Language Writing (Elsevier),Journal of Psycholinguistic Research (Springer),Measurement (Routledge),Linguistics and Education (Elsevier),Modern Language Journal (Wiley),Perceptual and Motor Skills (Sage),TESOL Quarterly (Wiley),Language Teaching Research (Sage),Learning and Instruction (Elsevier),RELC Journal (Sage),System (Elsevier),Sustainability (MDPI),Frontiers in Psychology (Frontiers), among others. He serves on editorial boards forApplied Linguistics Review (de Gruyter), Australian Review of Applied Linguistics (Benjamins),Chinese Journal of Applied Linguistics (de Gruyter),Journal of Second Language Writing (Elsevier),Metacognition and Learning (Springer),Journal of Second Language Studies (Benjamins),Language Teaching for Young Learners (Benjamins) andRELC Journal (Sage). He is a past Co-Editor-in-Chief forSystem (Elsevier). He was honored by the TESOL International Association (USA) in 2016 with the award of “50 at 50”, which acknowledged “50 Outstanding Leaders around the world in the field of TESOL”. In the Elsevier-Stanford Rankings, he has been consecutively listed in the top 2 % of Scientists in the World in the disciplinary areas of Linguistics/Applied Linguistics.
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Yunyun Xuan
Yunyun Xuan is a PhD candidate majoring in English Language, Faculty of Modern Languages and Communication, Universiti Putra Malaysia. She graduated from Guizhou Minzu University and Qiannan Normal University for Nationalities, China. She is interested in learner individual differences and L2 motivation.
Zhaoyu Chen is a graduate student majoring in Chinese International Education, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, China. As a volunteer teacher, she has previously taught Chinese as a foreign language at a senior high school in Thailand for two consecutive years and is committed to promoting the Chinese language and the cross-cultural communication.
Abstract
Boredom, as an inhibitory negative emotion, is prevalent in foreign language learning but its effects on learning are often underestimated. Within the context of Chinese as a foreign language (CFL), few studies have examined the dynamic relationship of boredom with motivational sources and learning engagement. To address this research gap, we probed the relationship between the ideal L2 self and affective, behavioural, and cognitive engagement, specifically focusing on the mediating role of boredom. Data via an online questionnaire from 791 CFL learners at a Thai senior high school were collected to gauge their ideal L2 self, boredom, and engagement. Results of PLS-SEM analysis indicated that the ideal L2 self positively impacted affective engagement and behavioural engagement, with boredom acting as a mediator in these relationships, highlighting the distinctiveness of cognitive engagement. These findings offer pedagogical implications for reducing boredom in foreign language learning and optimising affective, behavioural, and cognitive engagement.
About the authors
Xiao Xie is a Post-doctoral Visiting Fellow in the Faculty of Arts and Education, University of Auckland, New Zealand. He has a PhD in Linguistics and English Language from Universiti Putra Malaysia. He also holds a BA in English Language and Literature from Sichuan University and an MA from Sun Yat-sen University, China. He takes a lively interest in learning-oriented assessment, L2 writing, positive psychology, and AI integration into language education. His recent publications include Arab World English Journal, Higher Education, ASEAN Journal of Applied Linguistics, International Journal of Applied Linguistics, and chapters in edited books by Springer.
Lawrence Jun Zhang, PhD, is Professor of Linguistics-in-Education and Associate Dean for the Faculty of Arts and Education, University of Auckland, New Zealand. His major interests and publications are on learner metacognition, L2 reading-writing development, writing teacher assessment literacy, and positive psychology in language education. His publications have appeared in journals such as Applied Linguistics (Oxford), Applied Linguistics Review (De Gruyter), British Journal of Educational Psychology (Wiley), Computers and Education (Eslevier), Computers in Human Behavior (Elsevier), Discourse Processes (Routledge), Instructional Science (Springer), Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development (Routledge), Journal of Second Language Writing (Elsevier), Journal of Psycholinguistic Research (Springer), Measurement (Routledge), Linguistics and Education (Elsevier), Modern Language Journal (Wiley), Perceptual and Motor Skills (Sage), TESOL Quarterly (Wiley), Language Teaching Research (Sage), Learning and Instruction (Elsevier), RELC Journal (Sage), System (Elsevier), Sustainability (MDPI), Frontiers in Psychology (Frontiers), among others. He serves on editorial boards for Applied Linguistics Review (de Gruyter), Australian Review of Applied Linguistics (Benjamins), Chinese Journal of Applied Linguistics (de Gruyter), Journal of Second Language Writing (Elsevier), Metacognition and Learning (Springer), Journal of Second Language Studies (Benjamins), Language Teaching for Young Learners (Benjamins) and RELC Journal (Sage). He is a past Co-Editor-in-Chief for System (Elsevier). He was honored by the TESOL International Association (USA) in 2016 with the award of “50 at 50”, which acknowledged “50 Outstanding Leaders around the world in the field of TESOL”. In the Elsevier-Stanford Rankings, he has been consecutively listed in the top 2 % of Scientists in the World in the disciplinary areas of Linguistics/Applied Linguistics.
Yunyun Xuan is a PhD candidate majoring in English Language, Faculty of Modern Languages and Communication, Universiti Putra Malaysia. She graduated from Guizhou Minzu University and Qiannan Normal University for Nationalities, China. She is interested in learner individual differences and L2 motivation.
Zhaoyu Chen is a graduate student majoring in Chinese International Education, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, China. As a volunteer teacher, she has previously taught Chinese as a foreign language at a senior high school in Thailand for two consecutive years and is committed to promoting the Chinese language and the cross-cultural communication.
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Research ethics: All principles of ethics are followed and anonymity and confidentiality are maintained throughout the research.
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Informed consent: Informed consent was obtained from all the participants in this study upon approval of the study by the ethics committee of the local university where the study was conducted.
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Author contributions: Xie: conceptualization, formal analysis, statistics, first draft writing. Zhang: writing, revising, supervising, corresponding. Xuan: data collection, data cleaning. Chen: data collection, data cleaning. All authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.
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Use of Large Language Models, AI and Machine Learning Tools: We declare that we did not resort to using any LLM, AI or Machine Learning Tools in our drafting, revising or proofing.
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Conflict of interest: All other authors state no conflict of interest.
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Research funding: None declared.
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Data availability: Data will be made available upon request.
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