Exploring the influence of emotion regulation on the social communicative competence of language students in higher education: a PLS-SEM approach

Culturally responsive communication is one of the essential skills required of language learners in higher education. However, assessment has always focused on students’ ability to construct meaningful sentences in a language, ignoring the ability to communicate effectively in a socially and culturally responsive manner. This study, therefore, aimed to ascertain the social communicative competence of language students, taking into consideration how emotion regulation as an affective variable influenced their competence. Data were gathered from 462 language students in two higher educational institutions in Ghana. Using a partial least squares structural equation modelling approach, the study found that emotional regulation is a significant positive predictor of students’ social communicative competence. Particularly, the study found that emotion regulation among students influences their social experience, social confirmation, social composure, appropriate disclosure, and wit. These revelations underscore the role of emotional intelligence in the development of students’ linguistic and communicative competence. Based on these theoretical insights, we offer recommendations for policy and practice considerations.