Mitigating Language Learning Anxiety: The Mediating Roles of Autonomous Learning and Academic Resilience in Enhancing ESL Students’ Academic Performance

This study investigates how English Language Learning Anxiety (ELLA) affects students' academic performance in English and examines the mediating roles of autonomous learning and academic resilience.Drawing on Foreign Language Anxiety Theory and Self-Determination Theory, a quantitative survey was conducted with 384 university students enrolled in English courses in Jinan, Shandong Province, China.Data were collected using validated instruments: the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS), Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale (SDLRS), and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC).Results from correlation and regression analyses revealed that ELLA negatively correlates with academic performance, while autonomous learning and resilience are positive predictors.Mediation analysis further showed that both autonomous learning and resilience significantly mediate the impact of ELLA on academic performance.These findings underscore the importance of promoting learner autonomy and psychological resilience in English language learning contexts.Implications for educators, curriculum designers, and policymakers are discussed.