Foreign Language Enjoyment and Learning Outcomes among English Majors: The Mediating Role of L2 Motivational Self-System

This study explores the relationship between foreign language enjoyment (FLE) and learning outcomes of English majors, with a focus on the mediating effect of the L2 motivational self-system. A mixed-methods research design was adopted, involving 227 English majors from a university in East China. Data were collected through questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and academic performance records, and analyzed using SPSS 26.0 and AMOS 24.0. The results indicate that English majors’ FLE (including personal enjoyment and teacher-related enjoyment) and L2 motivational self-system (encompassing ideal L2 self, ought-to L2 self, and L2 learning experience) are at a medium-to-high level. FLE has a significant positive predictive effect on both learning outcomes and the L2 motivational self-system. The ideal L2 self and L2 learning experience in the motivational self-system play a partial mediating role in the relationship between FLE and learning outcomes, while the ought-to L2 self shows no significant mediating effect. These findings enrich the theoretical framework of positive psychology in second language acquisition and provide practical implications for optimizing English teaching strategies for English majors.