Exploring urban-rural differences in foreign language enjoyment, anxiety, boredom, and burnout among Chinese secondary students

Abstract

ABSTRACT Building on situated emotion framework, this study examined the variations in foreign language (FL) enjoyment, anxiety, boredom, and burnout between urban and rural students in China. The sample included 1,455 urban (55.6% male) and 546 rural students (53% male) (Mage = 15.41). Data were gathered through self-administered questionnaires measuring FL enjoyment, anxiety, boredom, and burnout, as well as FL achievement test. Independent sample t-tests found that urban students exhibited higher enjoyment and anxiety compared to their rural peers, while experiencing lower boredom and burnout. Analysis of covariance revealed that the observed differences remained significant after controlling for FL achievement, except for anxiety. Pearson correlation analysis showed that FL achievement for both urban and rural students was positively associated with enjoyment and negatively associated with boredom and burnout. Only a weak positive correlation was observed between anxiety and FL achievement among rural students. Multiple regression analysis indicated that enjoyment was a positive predictor of FL achievement for both groups, whereas burnout negatively influenced their achievement. Additionally, boredom negatively impacted urban students’ achievement, while anxiety emerged as a positive predictor. These results offer valuable insights for FL instruction in both urban and rural contexts and contribute empirical evidence to situated emotion research.