A structural equation modeling approach in examining EFL students’ foreign language enjoyment, trait emotional intelligence, and classroom climate

Abstract

Given the inherent challenges and substantial effort required in education, learners' levels of enjoyment have a fundamental value in the language acquisition process, especially in the English as a foreign language (EFL) context. This research aimed to validate a model of foreign language enjoyment (FLE) incorporating both the external factors such as classroom climate and the internal factors like trait emotional intelligence (EI) among Chinese EFL students. As a result, the study employed convenient sampling, selecting 346 Chinese EFL learners who participated by responding to valid scales for the three constructs, namely FLE, trait EI, and classroom climate. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was utilized for the data analysis, enlightening that both classroom climate and trait EI exerted a significant positive impact on FLE. Notably, trait EI exhibited a stronger influence than classroom climate. These findings underscore the significance of promoting a constructive classroom climate and cultivating trait EI to enhance EFL students' enjoyment in the process of learning.