Growth L2 listening mindset, L2 listening self-efficacy, and L2 listening comprehension: the mediating role of L2 listening enjoyment

This study aimed to explore the influence of English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ growth L2 listening mindset and L2 listening self-efficacy on their L2 listening comprehension, with a particular focus on the mediating role of L2 listening enjoyment. For this purpose, 403 first-year university students in China were recruited for the study. L2 listening comprehension was assessed using participants’ listening scores from a standardized national test. The validity of the online questionnaire measuring the three constructs was rigorously verified through confirmatory factor analysis. Moreover, the mediating role of L2 listening enjoyment was examined following the classic procedural approach for testing mediation effects. The results of structural equation modeling (SEM) demonstrated that L2 listening enjoyment and L2 listening self-efficacy were significantly associated with L2 listening comprehension. In addition, growth L2 listening mindset and L2 listening self-efficacy were indirectly related to L2 listening comprehension via the mediating effect of L2 listening enjoyment. These findings underscore the significance of incorporating domain- and skill-specific individual differences into L2 listening research. Some pedagogical implications are also discussed, and suggestions for future research are presented.