Unveiling the chain mediating effect of emotional intelligence and foreign language enjoyment on the impact of teacher support on willingness to communicate among Chinese EFL students

Willingness to communicate (WTC) constitutes a crucial indicator for evaluating the success of second language (L2) acquisition. Given its significance, identifying the antecedents of WTC is vital. However, studies concurrently exploring both internal and external factors influencing WTC remain limited. This study aims to investigate the associations between teacher support, emotional intelligence (EI), foreign language enjoyment (FLE), and WTC, specifically examining the chain-mediated roles of EI and FLE. A total of 352 Chinese university students learning English as a foreign language (EFL) completed questionnaires assessing perceptions of teacher support, EI, FLE, and WTC. Results indicated that: (1) Teacher support significantly and positively predicted WTC; (2) EI mediated the relationship between teacher support and FLE; (3) FLE mediated the relationship between teacher support and WTC; (4) EI and FLE collectively operated as chain mediators linking teacher support to WTC. These findings elucidate the specific mechanisms through which external factors (i.e., teacher support) and internal factors (i.e., EI and FLE) interact to influence students' WTC. The study offers insights for fostering students' EI and positive emotions via supportive teacher practices to enhance WTC.