The Resilience Quotient: What Keeps EFL Learners Going When Language Gets Tough

Authors

  • Maman Asrobi

    Department of English, Faculty of Letters, Universitas Negeri Malang, Malang 65145, Indonesia

    Department of English Language Education, Faculty of Language Arts and Humanities, Universitas Hamzanwadi, Lombok Timur 83611, Indonesia
  • Dedi Sumarsono

    Department of English, Faculty of Letters, Universitas Negeri Malang, Malang 65145, Indonesia
  • Ahmad Munawir

    Department of English, Faculty of Letters, Universitas Negeri Malang, Malang 65145, Indonesia
  • Nunung Suryati

    Department of English, Faculty of Letters, Universitas Negeri Malang, Malang 65145, Indonesia
  • Francisca Maria Ivone

     Department of English, Faculty of Letters, Universitas Negeri Malang, Malang 65145, Indonesia
  • Niamika El Khoiri

     Department of English, Faculty of Letters, Universitas Negeri Malang, Malang 65145, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i9.10830
Received: 1 July 2025 | Revised: 13 July 2025 | Accepted: 15 July 2025 | Published Online: 10 September 2025

Abstract

Cognitive resilience is essential for EFL learners to overcome linguistic, psychological, and environmental challenges, yet its role in language learning remains underexplored. While research has examined motivation, self-regulation, and emotional resilience, cognitive resilience as an adaptive mechanism in EFL learning has received limited attention. This study aims to synthesise existing research to examine how cognitive resilience influences EFL learners' adaptation to challenges, identify pedagogical and psychological strategies that foster resilience, and explore the role of social and environmental factors in resilience development. Employing Booth et al.'s (2021) systematic review model, this study reviewed 46 peer-reviewed studies published between 2015 and 2025 investigating resilience-related factors in EFL contexts. The findings reveal that cognitive flexibility, metacognitive strategies, and self-regulation are critical in helping learners navigate learning difficulties. At the same time, teacher support, parental involvement, and peer collaboration significantly shape resilience development. Despite these insights, empirical research on resilience-based interventions in EFL curricula is lacking, emphasising the need for structured pedagogical approaches. This study highlights the importance of integrating resilience-focused strategies into EFL instruction to enhance learners' ability to manage setbacks and sustain motivation. Future research should explore intervention-based approaches, cultural variations in resilience development, and the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying adaptive learning behaviours to support long-term success in language acquisition.

Keywords:

Cognitive Resilience; EFL Learning; Metacognitive Strategies; Self-Regulation; Resilience-Based Interventions

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How to Cite

Asrobi, M., Sumarsono, D., Munawir, A., Suryati, N., Ivone, F. M., & El Khoiri, N. (2025). The Resilience Quotient: What Keeps EFL Learners Going When Language Gets Tough. Forum for Linguistic Studies, 7(9), 493–504. https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i9.10830

Issue

Vol. 7 , Iss. 9 (September 2025)

Article Type

Article

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Copyright © 2025 Maman Asrobi, Dedi Sumarsono, Ahmad Munawir, Nunung Suryati, Francisca Maria Ivone, Niamika El Khoiri

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This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.