Emotion profiles of Chinese secondary EFL learners: link with subjective well-being, English achievement, and demographics

Abstract This study employed latent profile analysis (LPA) to identify emotion profiles among foreign language (FL) learners and explored their relationship with FL achievement and subjective well-being, drawing on control-value theory. The participants included 4,109 Chinese secondary students who completed an English achievement test and online questionnaires focusing on subjective well-being and FL enjoyment, anxiety, and burnout. The LPA results indicated a four-profile model, categorized as “low enjoyment, anxiety, and burnout”, “low enjoyment with moderate anxiety and burnout”, “moderate enjoyment with low anxiety and burnout”, and “high enjoyment, anxiety, and burnout”. Four profiles showed significant differences in subjective well-being and English achievement. Notably, the group characterized by “moderate enjoyment with low anxiety and burnout” demonstrated the highest levels of subjective well-being and English achievement. In contrast, the group with “low enjoyment, anxiety, and burnout” exhibited the lowest outcomes in these areas. Additionally, the group characterized by “low enjoyment with moderate anxiety and burnout” outperformed the “high enjoyment, anxiety, and burnout” group in English achievement, despite experiencing lower subjective well-being. Significant differences in FL emotion profiles were also observed across gender, socioeconomic status, and boarding status. These findings provide valuable insights into FL instruction.