Competitive psychological climate and foreign language anxiety in junior high school learners in China: Roles of control-value appraisals, and cognitive reappraisal

Abstract

In recent years, competitive climate has increasingly prevailed in some Asian regions with large numbers of foreign language learners. It is thus important for teachers to understand the impact of this classroom environment on language learners’ emotions and to develop ways to effectively reduce any potential negative impact associated with the competitive climate. The present study aims to contribute to this under-studied but necessary line of research by focusing on the exploration of possible mechanisms underlying the relationship between competitive climate and foreign language anxiety. Specifically, we assessed the roles of control and extrinsic value appraisals as mediators in the relationship between competitive climate and anxiety levels. We also investigated the moderating role of cognitive reappraisal (a typical form of adaptive emotion regulation) in the relationship between competitive climate and cognitive appraisals/anxiety, and that of intrinsic value appraisal in the relationship between extrinsic value appraisal and anxiety. Data were collected from 1,138 junior high school-level learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) from six public schools situated in different cities in China. Results show that competitive climate was directly and positively related to foreign language anxiety, and this relationship was complementarily mediated via extrinsic value appraisal, but competitively mediated via control appraisal. Moderation analysis showed that intrinsic value appraisal negatively moderated the relationship between extrinsic value appraisal and anxiety. Cognitive reappraisal was shown to be a buffer against the relationship between competitive climate and anxiety. Results reveal the complexity and dynamics of the relationship between competitive climate and foreign language anxiety, and the conditions under which their relationship is strengthened or weakened. Based on our findings, discussion and pedagogical implications are provided as are the study’s limitations.