Teacher Support in Enhancing Willingness to Communicate: The Mediating Effect of Growth Language Mindset

2025/09/10 by Dongxue Han, Malini Ganapathy
Arts and Humanities · Psychology · Social Sciences · #EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning #Early Childhood Education and Development #Emotional Intelligence and Performance

paper · doi:10.1111/ijal.12864

openalex publication_date 2025/09/10 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/25

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study examined how teacher support (TS) and growth language mindset (GLM) influence learners’ willingness to communicate (WTC) in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms. Data from a survey of 643 university students in Northeast China were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS‐SEM). Results indicated that TS positively influenced both GLM and WTC. Among the three dimensions of TS, emotional support exerted the strongest effects on both GLM and WTC. Moreover, GLM partially mediated the relationship between TS and WTC, indicating that TS enhances students’ WTC by fostering GLM. These findings highlight the importance of supportive teaching practices and fostering language mindsets to improve language learners’ active communication. Implications for teaching, study limitations, and recommendations for future research are also discussed.

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Related

• Willingness to Communicate in English: A Model in the Chinese EFL Classroom Context
• Unraveling willingness to communicate in Chinese as a second language
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• Teaching EIL, ideal L2 self, and growth language mindset: Boosting EFL students' willingness to communicate