Academic resilience in learning English as a foreign language: Relations to classroom climate and beliefs about language learning

Students face a range of challenges when learning a foreign language. Accordingly, academic resilience has drawn attention in research on language learning, since resilience helps learners overcome critical difficulties in the language learning process. The present study examined the potential interactions among classroom social climate, beliefs about language learning (i.e., positive L2 self and language mindsets), and academic resilience in English as a foreign language (EFL) learning among 436 undergraduate students in China. After collecting data using an online survey, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were conducted. The findings indicated that both environmental (i.e., classroom social climate) and individual (i.e., positive L2 self and language mindsets) factors directly predicted students’ academic resilience in EFL learning. Also, classroom social climate had a significant indirect impact on students’ academic resilience in EFL learning through positive L2 self and language mindsets.