How psychological capital makes foreign language anxiety manageable: A qualitative study of chinese senior high school EFL students

Introduction Psychological capital (PsyCap) has been linked to lower anxiety and better learning outcomes, but little is known about how it works in students’ lived experiences. This study explored how PsyCap helps Chinese senior high school EFL students manage rather than eliminate foreign language anxiety (FLA). Methods An interview-led qualitative case study design was used. Ten Grade 11 students from one senior high school in Guiyang, China, were selected through screening as having relatively high PsyCap and low FLA. Data were mainly collected through in-depth interviews, supported by students’ reflective journals and the curriculum document for triangulation. The interview data were analysed using thematic analysis with the support of ATLAS.ti. Results The findings showed that PsyCap helped students keep FLA manageable and return to learning tasks. Four connected processes were identified: strengthened self-belief lowered anxiety reactivity; emotional regulation stabilised anxiety levels; future-oriented meaning reframed anxiety into constructive engagement; and internal and external resources converted anxiety into action. Conclusions PsyCap helped students manage rather than eliminate FLA by shaping how they interpreted difficulties, recovered emotionally, connected learning with future meaning, and continued taking action. The findings provide a process-oriented qualitative account of PsyCap in senior high school EFL learning.