When Teacher Enthusiasm Meets Student Engagement: The Reciprocal Role of Perceived Learning Value in the Second Language Classroom

Second language (L2) classroom is a dynamic and evolving space shaped by ongoing interactions between teachers and students. Understanding how these dynamic interactions unfold from a psychological perspective is critical for advancing L2 learning and teaching. This study contributes to this endeavour by examining the reciprocal relationship between teacher enthusiasm and L2 student classroom engagement as well as the mediating role of perceived learning value in this reciprocal relationship. Data were collected from 317 English as a foreign language learners in Vietnam at three time points across an academic semester and analysed by means of random-intercept cross-lagged panel modelling. Results revealed that teacher enthusiasm and L2 student engagement were reciprocally related over time, and this reciprocity was mediated by students’ perceived value of L2 learning tasks. These mediated reciprocal relations remained robust even after controlling for prior levels of each construct. The findings highlight the co-regulated and cyclical nature of L2 classroom affective-motivational climate and offer practical implications for L2 pedagogy.