Examining the interplay among L2 learners’ growth language mindsets, motivational self-system, and persistence: A structural equation modeling approach

Psychological factors are integral to language learning, serving as pivotal drivers of learning behaviors. While the dynamics of L2 learners’ psychological dispositions have attracted increasing scholarly attention, the associations between constructs, such as language mindsets, motivation, and persistence, remain insufficiently explored. The present study, therefore, sought to elucidate the interplay between growth language mindsets (GLaM) and perceived persistence in L2 learning (PL2L), further investigating whether the tripartite components of the L2 motivational self-system (L2MSS), namely the ideal L2 self (IL2S), the ought-to L2 self (OL2S), and the L2 learning experience (L2LE), mediated this relationship. Unpacking these interactions could provide valuable insights into the psychological underpinnings of sustained language learning. This study involved 501 EFL students from a university in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam, recruited through convenience sampling. Data were gathered using an online questionnaire encompassing scales for GLaM, the L2MSS, and PL2L. To ensure a robust examination of the data, a rigorous data analysis process involving structural equation modeling was employed. The results revealed that GLaM, the OL2S, and the L2LE significantly influenced PL2L, while the IL2S exerted no meaningful effect. In addition, GLaM had significant effects on all dimensions of the L2MSS. Notably, GLaM was found to indirectly affect PL2L through the OL2S and the L2LE but not through the IL2S. This study accentuates the significance of GLaM and the complexities of the L2MSS in affecting PL2L.