Unpacking EFL Learner Well-Being in the Chinese Context: A Person-Centered Perspective

Language learners’ well-being is crucial for promoting their learning achievement and supporting holistic psychological development. However, the overall level and specific manifestations of well-being among English as a foreign language (EFL) learners remain insufficiently examined. Further, prior research mainly adopted a variable-centered approach to investigate well-being, overlooking the potential individual differences in learners’ experiences. To address these gaps, this study adopted a person-centered perspective and employed latent profile analysis (LPA) combined with follow-up interviews to examine the well-being of 3,995 EFL learners from 16 Chinese universities. The results demonstrated four dimensions of well-being among Chinese EFL learners, namely emotional, cognitive, social, and cultural well-being, with overall levels rated as moderate to high. LPA revealed three distinct profiles of well-being among the learners, which were labeled as the moderate well-being group , the moderately high well-being group , and the high well-being group. Semi-structured interviews indicated that well-being in the three profiles was characterized by external dependence, performance focus, and meaning integration. These findings highlight pronounced heterogeneity in EFL learner well-being, emphasizing the need for differentiated pedagogical approaches to support diverse learner needs.