Revisiting the effect of the (in)congruence between foreign language classroom anxiety and enjoyment on self-perceived proficiency: A conceptual replication and extension of Botes et al. ()

Abstract

Abstract Using polynomial regression with response surface analysis (PRRSA) with an international sample, Botes et al. (2022a) found that self-perceived proficiency (SPP) varied in complex ways when foreign language classroom anxiety (FLCA) and foreign language enjoyment (FLE) were fully congruent or incongruent. However, it remains unclear whether these findings could be generalized to Chinese English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) learners and how SPP varies across a wider range of FLCA–FLE combinations in the Chinese context. To address this gap, this replication study conceptually replicated their investigation into the effect of the FLCA–FLE (in)congruence on SPP by applying PRRSA to a sample of 1,078 Chinese university EFL learners. As an extension, we examined whether congruent or incongruent FLCA–FLE combinations are broadly associated with higher levels of SPP. To better suit our context, we modified the measures by using well-validated Chinese versions of multi-item scales. Echoing Botes et al., we observed a similar linear decline in SPP when FLCA increased and FLE decreased. However, a unique finding of our study was that SPP exhibited a U-shaped trend when FLCA and FLE changed synchronously. Extending the initial study, we identified a broad reverse incongruence effect: SPP generally decreased when FLCA–FLE incongruence increased at the surface level.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Language Teaching, 2026 · DOI ↗