In this Methods Showcase Article, we illustrate mixed-effects modeling with a multinomial dependent variable as a means of explaining complexities in language. We model data on future-time reference in second language Spanish, which consists of a nominal dependent variable that has three levels, measured over 73 participants. We offer step-by-step…

Personality has been identified as a possible antecedent to emotions experienced in the foreign language (FL) classroom. However, contrasting results and differing personality models have resulted in ambiguous findings. This study set out to delve deeper into the role of personality as a predictor of FL emotions through a series of increasingly…

The revised Speech Learning Model (SLM-r) postulates that learners with more precisely defined categories in their native language (L1) exhibit greater proficiency in acquiring sounds in a second language (L2). Despite its recent emergence, empirical studies validating this hypothesis remain scarce. This study aims to investigate the predictive…

Listening comprehension results are affected by various individual difference factors. This study aimed to examine the relationship between metacognitive awareness, listening anxiety, and EFL listening comprehension. To this end, data from the Metacognitive Awareness Listening Questionnaire (MALQ), Foreign Language Listening Anxiety Scale (FLLAS),…

To gain a deeper understanding of the complexity of foreign language anxiety (FLA), researchers have leveraged various quantitative and qualitative methods. Considering quantitative methods, researchers have mostly used variable-centered approaches to examine the relationships between FLA and other variables. However, less attention has been given…

This study explores the effects of mindfulness, resilience, and self-efficacy on foreign language anxiety among Chinese college students and identifies the most significant predictor of foreign language anxiety. Employing a quantitative approach, data were collected from 323 English as a foreign language students using validated scales measuring…

It is well known that successful second language (L2) learners are motivated individuals. Accordingly, L2 researchers have tested the predictive power of different motivational constructs on language learning outcomes. However, this perspective appears to neglect the assessment of achievement as a predictor of future motivation. To assess this…

The present study complemented the extant second language (L2) Age of Acquisition (AoA) normative database by providing over 3500 English L2 words on objective AoA and over 2600 English L2 words on subjective AoA. The correlation between the objective and subjective L2 AoA confirmed the validity of the present database. The objective L2 AoA was…

Second language (L2) learners' beliefs about the nature of language learning, specifically language mindsets, is a recent productive line of L2 research. Researchers argue that language mindsets are key factors for language learning success. However, the association between language mindsets and different language learning outcomes is inconsistent…

Studying Latin in secondary education is still widespread in Europe and believed to result in cognitive benefits, even beyond the linguistic domain. In this study we explored the relation between such study and later academic achievement in higher education (N = 1,898). First, we demonstrated that Latin students exhibit increased levels of study…

Language mindsets influence learners' behavior, motivation, and strategic approaches to studying a language. These mindsets impact how learners perceive control and value in achievement activities, which, in turn, affect their achievement emotions and ultimately their learning strategies and academic performance. This study investigates the…

This study analyses the production of French /y/ and /u/ by 42 native English learners of French (ELoF) at the start and end of a Residence Abroad (RA) in a French-speaking country. As an approximation of both phonological and phonetic development, categorical change is teased apart from gradient change using k-medoid clustering of acoustic data…

Critical thinking (CT) is widely recognised as a core competency in 21st-century higher education, particularly within English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learning contexts. This study examines the extent to which motivation and engagement contribute to the development of CT skills among Chinese EFL university students. A sample of 626…

This study investigated whether learners' task motivation predicts their task engagement, and whether their task engagement is associated with subsequent L2 learning. Task motivation was operationalized through situated expectancy-value theory (SEVT; Eccles & Wigfield, 2020), a model of the proximal (i.e., task-specific) social-cognitive…

High stress predicts mood and anxiety disorders and can necessitate clinical intervention (Steffen et al., 2014). Language learners often experience high stress during intensive study abroad (SA) programs (Dewey et al., 2018), which can hinder communication (Buttaro, 2004; Peck, 1974). Acculturative stress is common among second language (L2)…