The Relationship Between Growth Language Mindsets and L2 Achievement

Grounded in mindset theory, this study investigated the predictive effect of growth language mindsets on L2 (learners’ foreign or second language) achievement among gifted EFL high school students in Vietnam. While previous research has shown mixed evidence regarding the role of mindsets in L2 learning, little is known about their influence in populations characterized by exceptional academic aptitude. A sample of 147 students, aged 15 to 17, from three gifted high schools in the Mekong Delta region completed a growth language mindset questionnaire, which included beliefs about general language intelligence, L2 aptitude, and age sensitivity in L2 learning. Self-reported final exam scores were employed as the indicator of L2 achievement. Following rigorous data screening, 135 valid cases were analyzed using Pearson correlation and linear regression. The results demonstrated a significant positive correlation between growth language mindsets and L2 achievement (r = 0.32, p 0.001). Regression analysis further revealed that growth language mindsets explained 40.5% of the variance in students’ L2 performance (β = 0.64, p 0.001). These findings underscore the essential role of growth-oriented beliefs in shaping high-ability students’ language outcomes, extending prior work by situating mindset theory within the underexplored context of gifted EFL education in Vietnam. The study contributes empirical evidence to the ongoing debate on the predictive power of growth mindsets, while also offering practical implications for fostering resilience, sustained effort, and mastery-oriented learning in advanced language classrooms.