Parental involvement and children’s L2 learning motivation and engagement: A person-centered approach

Research has consistently demonstrated that parental involvement plays a key role in children’s early second language (L2) development. However, little is known about how different aspects of parental involvement in children’s L2 learning are configured and how these differentiated combinations of parental involvement are associated with children’s L2 motivation and engagement. Moving beyond prior studies, which typically focused on the effects of single aspects of parental involvement, this study utilized a person-centered approach to examine the configuration patterns of various indicators of parental involvement in children’s L2 learning (i.e. parental autonomy support, psychological control, and behavioral control). Data were collected from a sample of 702 seventh graders ( M age = 13.09, SD = 1.64; 50.14% girls) in two major cities in China. Four distinct profiles (i.e. Authoritative, Neglectful, Control-centered, and Intrusive) were identified. Children’s L2 learning motivation and engagement varied across these profiles. These more nuanced findings shed light upon the heterogeneous nature of various parental involvement in children’s L2 learning and carry significant practical implications for both parents and practitioners aiming to foster a more supportive environment for children’s L2 learning.