Abstract

Learning a foreign language is a long-term process requiring persistence and a willingness to engage in activities that will help develop communicative competence. An important role on the way to achieving linguistic proficiency is played by L2 grit. However, foreign language learners differ in the intensity of this trait. We identify the most important predictors of L2 grit in the online language learning context. Basing on a literature review, we first identify possible predictors in the generic process of L2 learning, including language mindsets as well as two general psychological dispositions: a sense of autonomy and curiosity, and subsequently one predictor specifically related to the virtual learning context, i.e., readiness for online learning. A multiple linear regression model built using questionnaire data collected from 615 learners from 69 countries enrolled in language courses taught in a remote or hybrid mode reveals that L2 grit is most determined by two dimensions of readiness for online learning, and to a lesser extent by learners’ autonomy and curiosity, and significantly and positively correlates with these factors. The regression model explains 48% of variance in the dependent variable. A subsequent psychological network analysis, one of the first applications of this method in the field of SLA, permitted estimating the relative importance of these factors in the complex network of associations, indicating equally strong direct connections between L2 grit and both dimensions of readiness for online learning, and a much weaker edge linking L2 grit with autonomy. The findings have practical implications for language teachers in remote and hybrid settings.

摘要

学习外语是一个长期的过程，需要坚持不懈并愿意参与有助于发展交际能力的活动。L2 毅力在实现语言能力的过程中发挥着重要作用。然而，外语学习者这种特质的强度有所不同。我们确定了在线语言学习环境中 L2 毅力最重要的预测因素。基于文献综述，我们首先确定了第二语言学习的一般过程中可能的预测因素，包括语言思维方式以及两种一般心理倾向：自主感和好奇心，以及随后与虚拟学习环境具体相关的一个预测因素，即，为在线学习做好准备。使用从 69 个国家的 615 名学习者收集的问卷数据建立的多元线性回归模型显示，L2 毅力主要由在线学习准备度两个维度决定，其次是由学习者决定。 ”自主性和好奇心，并且与这些因素显着正相关。回归模型解释了因变量中 48% 的方差。随后的心理网络分析是该方法在 SLA 领域的首批应用之一，它允许估计这些因素在复杂的关联网络中的相对重要性，表明 L2 毅力与在线准备度两个维度之间存在同样强大的直接联系学习，以及将 L2 毅力与自主性联系起来的较弱优势。