The influence of L2 grit on student engagement in Chinese EFL Learning: The mediating role of L2 enjoyment

While L2 grit is recognized as a pivotal determinant of student engagement in foreign language learning, the underlying mechanisms, particularly the role of positive emotions, remain underexplored. Drawing on Fredrickson's (2001) broaden-and-build theory and Pekrun's (2006) control-value theory, this study investigates the mediating role of L2 enjoyment in the relationship between L2 grit (comprising perseverance of effort [PE] and consistency of interest [CI]) and student engagement among Chinese EFL learners. A final valid sample of 444 Chinese non-English major undergraduates was obtained using validated scales for data collection. Structural equation modeling analyses revealed that: (1) PE significantly and positively predicted L2 enjoyment, which in turn strongly predicted student engagement; (2) L2 enjoyment fully mediated the relationship between PE and student engagement; (3) CI showed no significant direct relationship with student engagement, but exhibited a significant negative indirect effect on student engagement via L2 enjoyment when controlling for its covariance with PE. This finding reveals a suppressor effect, indicating that the unique component of CI (interest without effort) may be counterproductive, whereas its shared variance with PE positively contributes to L2 enjoyment and student engagement. These findings illuminate L2 enjoyment as a critical affective mechanism through which the effort-related dimension of grit fosters student engagement, while also uncovering the complex and potentially divergent role of interest. The study underscores the value of integrating grit cultivation and positive emotion enhancement in designing pedagogic interventions aimed at sustaining EFL learners' engagement, and highlights the importance of fostering effort alongside interest to avoid the unintended negative consequences.