Exploring the Relationship Between Chinese University EFL Learner’s L2 Grit And Teacher Support

Abstract

L2 grit is significant in the second language acquisition field. Plentiful research has found that L2 grit can be positively affected by teacher support. However, the current study does not explain the correlation between their sub-dimensions. Therefore, this study collected Chinese university EFL learners’ L2 grit and teacher support data and analyzed it through factor analysis and correlational analysis to explore the relationships between the sub-factors of L2 grit and teacher support. In this study, perseverance of efforts and consistency of interest are extracted from L2 grit, and academic support, emotional support, and progressive support are extracted from teacher support. Results show that L2 grit and teacher support are significantly positively correlated. However, regarding sub-factors, only the positive correlation between PE and academic support, PE and emotional support, and CI and emotional support are significant. This study supports the importance of teacher support in cultivating learner’s L2 grit. Meanwhile, it emphasizes the role of emotional and academic support in evoking learner’s positive emotions and helping them develop grit traits.