The Mediating Role of Foreign Language Enjoyment: An Affective Pathway Through Which Academic Buoyancy Influences Learning Engagement

Grounded in positive psychology theory in second language acquisition (SLA), this study investigates the impact of academic buoyancy and foreign language enjoyment (FLE) on learning engagement, with a particular emphasis on the mediating role of FLE. A sample of 280 English majors from a 211 Project university in Northeast China complete questionnaire surveys, and data are quantitatively analyzed. The study yields the following results: (1) Learners exhibit moderately high levels of academic buoyancy (M=3.292), FLE (M=3.293), and learning engagement (M=3.331). (2) Academic buoyancy significantly and positively correlates with learning engagement (r=0.764); similarly, FLE shows a strong positive correlation with learning engagement (r=0.782). (3) Bootstrap mediation analysis confirms that FLE partially mediates the effect of academic buoyancy on learning engagement (indirect effect=0.390). These findings reveal that academic buoyancy directly promotes learning engagement and indirectly enhances it by stimulating positive emotional experiences. The identified pathway — that is, Academic Buoyancy → Foreign Language Enjoyment → Learning Engagement — underscores the crucial role of affective dimensions in educational outcomes. The study highlights the importance of fostering positive psychological attributes, especially FLE, as a strategic priority in foreign language education to maximize learner engagement. Practical pedagogical implications are discussed, offering empirical support for integrating affective factors into SLA practices for English majors.