English-as-an-Additional-Language Counselor Trainees’ Professional Identity: The Relationship With Their Language Proficiency, Foreign Language Anxiety, and Acculturation

Abstract

This study examined the professional identity development of English-as-an-additional-language counselor trainees (EAL CTs) and its relationship with foreign language anxiety (FLA), acculturation, and language proficiency. Findings revealed that professional identity was positively associated with mainstream acculturation, heritage acculturation, and language proficiency but negatively associated with FLA. Language proficiency mediated the relationship between mainstream acculturation and professional identity, highlighting the foundational role of language proficiency. These results emphasize the importance of fostering bicultural competence, addressing FLA, and providing language support in counselor training programs to enhance EAL CTs’ professional development.