Linking Language Attitudes to Proficiency Across Learning Contexts: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Correlational Evidence

Abstract Understanding the relationship between language attitudes and proficiency is essential for improving language proficiency and shaping effective educational and policy strategies. This correlational meta-analysis synthesizes 132 effect sizes nested within 46 independent samples from 33 research reports ( N = 20,505) to examine this relationship and how it is moderated by different attitude objects and contextual and methodological variables. The overall analysis revealed a significant small to medium association ( r = .34, 95% CI [.29, .39]), indicating that more favorable language attitudes tend to be linked to higher proficiency. Moderator analyses showed that the strength of this association varies depending on the specific object of the attitude (e.g., the language itself versus its speakers) and contextual factors such as language status. The analysis also highlights significant theoretical and methodological heterogeneity within existing research, calling for more holistic theoretical models, standardized assessment tools and more diverse sampling in future studies to enhance the certainty of evidence and inform educational practices.