Examining the Complexity between Boredom and Engagement in English Learning: Evidence from Chinese High School Students

Abstract

Although boredom is a negative emotion that students frequently experience in the process of learning English, boredom in language learning has received scant research attention in terms of its structure, levels and impact on language learning engagement. To fill this gap, the study focused on data obtained from 1157 high school students in six different areas of mainland China via a questionnaire. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a binary structure of English learning boredom (ELB) and a tri-structure of English learning engagement (ELE). The Pearson correlation showed a low-to-moderate correlation between ELB and ELE. On the basis of our results, we present this study’s pedagogical implications.