Mindfulness, Reading Anxiety, and Self-Efficacy of Korean EFL College Students

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the state of mindfulness exhibited by Korean EFL college students had an effect on the level of anxiety and self-efficacy they experienced during their L2 reading. The following research questions were constructed. First, is there a relationship between mindfulness and anxiety in L2 reading? Second, is there a relationship between mindfulness and self-efficacy in L2 reading? A total of 108 male and female students attending a University in Daejeon, Korea participated in the study at the end of the 2020 spring semester. Data collected from a self-report questionnaire were analyzed using SPSS. Regression analyses revealed two findings. First, the participants with higher states of mindfulness tended to read English with less anxiety. Second, the students who exhibited higher states of mindfulness had greater self-efficacy than those with lower states of mindfulness. Hence, EFL college students’ state of mindfulness can affect their reading anxiety and self-efficacy related to L2 reading. Pedagogical implications as well as directions for future research are provided.