Chinese EFL Learners’ L2 Writing Stress,Resilience,L2 Writing Engagement,and Self-perceived L2 Writing Ability

From the cognitive perspective,the writing process is a recursive and exploratory problem-solving activity,affected by not only external factors,but also more closely by learner factors.Compared with first language(L1)writers,second language(L2)writers have to develop ideas,deal with content and organization issues,and face challenges brought about by language,which renders them susceptible to stress.Research in educational psychology has found that academic stress hampers academic engagement,thus influencing academic achievement,whereas resilience can buffer the negative effect of academic stress on academic achievement.Resilience refers to the positive personality of individuals promoting positive adaptation,which has been found to enhance academic achievement through academic engagement.However,whether the theories and empirical findings in educational psychology hold true in L2 writing remains to be examined.Furthermore,influenced by positive psychology,the field of applied linguistics investigates the psychological mechanism of second language acquisition(SLA)and application,and unearths the role of learner characteristics(e.g.,emotional intelligence and mindset)on language learning process and outcomes.The topic on learner characteristics has implications for investigating the process of L2 writing ability development at greater depth.In other words,what role learner characteristics of L2 writers,including resilience,play in developing L2 writing ability,as well as whether resilience helps L2 writers cope with stress,and enhance their self-perceived L2 writing ability by boosting their L2 writing engagement,are urgent problems to be solved.Informed by positive psychology,this study aims to investigate the following three research questions through a mixed-methods design:(1)What is the profile of Chinese EFL learners’ L2 writing stress,resilience,L2 writing engagement,and self-perceived L2 writing ability?(2)Are there any differences in Chinese EFL learners’ L2 writing stress,resilience,L2 writing engagement,and self-perceived L2 writing ability between high-proficiency and low-proficiency groups?(3)What is the relationship between Chinese EFL learners’ L2 writing stress,resilience,L2 writing engagement,and their self-perceived L2 writing ability?In the formal study,658 questionnaires were collected and 15 semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants in a STEM-oriented university in South China.With the descriptive statistics,independent sample t-test,and regression analysis,the following results were found:(1)EFL learners’ L2 writing stress,resilience,and L2 writing engagement are at a medium-to-high level,while their self-perceived L2 writing ability is at a medium-to-low level;(2)The high-proficiency group has significantly higher levels of L2 writing engagement and self-perceived L2 writing ability,lower level of L2 writing stress than the low-proficiency group;while there is no significant difference in resilience between high-proficiency and low-proficiency groups;(3)EFL learners’ L2 writing stress negatively predicts their self-perceived L2 writing ability and L2 writing engagement functions as a partial mediator;EFL learners’ resilience positively predicts their self-perceived L2 writing ability and L2 writing engagement functions as a full mediator;resilience moderates the relationship between L2 writing stress and L2 writing engagement.Based on the content analysis of the interview transcripts,this study found:(1)L2writing is stress-inducing;(2)EFL learners demonstrate resilience in the face of adversity;(3)EFL learners are generally engaged in L2 writing;there is unbalance between the three dimensions of engagement;(4)L2 writing stress hampers L2 writing engagement in the emotional dimension;resilience boosts L2 writing engagement in the emotional and cognitive dimension.The research results show L2 writing stress hinders L2 writing ability through L2 writing engagement,and resilience enhances L2 writing ability through L2 writing engagement.In addition,resilience moderates the relationship between L2 writing stress and L2 writing engagement.Theoretically,this study uncovers the psychological process of the development of L2 writing ability,which further promotes the theoretical construction of the development of L2 writing ability.In addition,this study strengthens the interdisciplinary nature of L2 writing research by investigating L2 writing process from the perspective of positive psychology.Pedagogically,L2 writing instructors should be fully aware of the influence of learners’ psychological factors on developing their L2 writing ability.Specifically,instructors should strive to enhance learners’ L2 writing ability through nurturing and improving learners’ resilience and L2 writing engagement,as well as helping them cope with L2 writing stress.