Psychological Barriers and Growth Mindset in Foreign Language Learning

Authors

  • Mustafa Seref Akın

    Economics Department, Erzincan Binali Yıldırım University, Erzincan 24100, Turkey

    Management Department, Boğaziçi University, Istanbul 34342, Turkey

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i12.9455
Received: 11 April 2025 | Revised: 22 June 2025 | Accepted: 25 June 2025 | Published Online: 24 November 2025

Abstract

Language learning is not merely a cognitive process; it is an emotional and psychological journey shaped by confidence, vulnerability, and mindset. This study explores key psychological barriers—including anxiety, fear of judgment, perfectionism, and cognitive fatigue—that hinder learners' progress and presents strategies to foster a growth-oriented approach. Drawing on qualitative data from language learners, the findings revealed that high-stakes environments, excessive teacher correction, and an overemphasis on accuracy often suppress fluency and self-expression. In contrast, adopting mistake-tolerant practices—such as gamified risk-taking and reframing errors as valuable achievements—can foster a more supportive and growth-oriented learning environment. These strategies not only normalize error-making but also enhance metalinguistic awareness, promote intrinsic motivation, and support long-term retention. Additionally, the study identifies specific emotional and social stressors—such as internalized negative self-talk, method paralysis, and unrealistic goal-setting—that contribute to mental blocks and disengagement. To address these barriers, this research advocates for a paradigm shift in TESOL education—one that integrates psychological support, emotional safety, and growth mindset principles into instructional design. A model TESOL syllabus and ten strategies for promoting mistake tolerance are proposed, incorporating reflective practices, low-pressure speaking tasks, and self-directed error analysis. By reframing mistakes as necessary steps in learning and building environments that empower students to take linguistic risks, educators can cultivate both communicative confidence and emotional resilience.

Keywords:

Psychological barriers; growth mindset; language anxiety; self-directed learning; emotional resilience; teacher corrections

References

[1] Crystal, D., 2003. English as a Global Language. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK.

[2] Dewaele, J.-M., 2010. Emotions in Multiple Languages. Palgrave Macmillan: Basingstoke, UK.

[3] Dweck, C.S., 2006. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Random House: New York, NY, USA.

[4] Horwitz, E.K., 2001. Language Anxiety and Achievement. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics. 21, 112–126. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0267190501000071

[5] Gregersen, T., MacIntyre, P.D., 2014. Capitalizing on Language Learners’ Individuality: From Premise to Practice. Multilingual Matters: Bristol, UK.

[6] Gregersen, T., Horwitz, E.K., 2002. Language Learning and Perfectionism: Anxious and Non-Anxious Language Learners’ Reactions to Their Own Oral Performance. The Modern Language Journal. 86(4), 562–570.

[7] Woodrow, L., 2006. Anxiety and Speaking English as a Second Language. RELC Journal. 37(3), 308–328. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0033688206071315

[8] Mercer, S., Ryan, S., 2010. A Mindset for EFL: Learners’ Beliefs about the Role of Natural Talent. ELT Journal. 64(4), 436–444. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/elt/ccp083

[9] Lou, N.M., Noels, K.A., 2020. Breaking the Vicious Cycle of Language Anxiety: Growth Language Mindsets Improve Lower-Competence ESL Students’ Intercultural Interactions. Contemporary Educational Psychology. 61, 101847. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2020.101847

[10] Lightbown, P.M., Spada, N., 2021. How Languages Are Learned, 5th ed. Oxford University Press: Oxford, UK.

[11] Krashen, S.D., 1982. Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition. Pergamon Press: Oxford, UK.

[12] Dörnyei, Z., 2009. The Psychology of Second Language Acquisition. Oxford University Press: Oxford, UK.

[13] Oxford, R.L., 2016. Teaching and Researching Language Learning Strategies: Self-Regulation in Context, 1st ed. Routledge: London, UK.

[14] Young, D.J., 1991. Creating a Low-Anxiety Classroom Environment: What Does Language Anxiety Research Suggest? The Modern Language Journal. 75(4), 426–437. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.1991.tb05378.x

[15] Gregersen, T., 2003. To Err Is Human: A Reminder to Teachers of Language-Anxious Students. Foreign Language Annals. 36(1), 25–32. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1944-9720.2003.tb01929.x

[16] Hiver, P., Al-Hoorie, A.H., 2016. A Dynamic Ensemble for Second Language Research: Putting Complexity Theory into Practice. The Modern Language Journal. 100(4), 741–756. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/modl.12347

[17] Dweck, C.S., Walton, G.M., Cohen, G.L., 2014. Academic Tenacity: Mindsets and Skills That Promote Long-Term Learning. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: Seattle, WA, USA.

[18] Mercer, S., 2018. Psychology for Language Learning: Spare a Thought for the Teacher. Language Teaching. 51(4), 504–525. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444817000258

[19] Horwitz, E.K., Horwitz, M.B., Cope, J., 1986. Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety. The Modern Language Journal. 70(2), 125–132. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.1986.tb05256.x

[20] MacIntyre, P.D., Gardner, R.C., 1994. The Subtle Effects of Language Anxiety on Cognitive Processing in the Second Language. Language Learning. 44(2), 283–305. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-1770.1994.tb01103.x

[21] Kitano, K., 2001. Anxiety in the College Japanese Language Classroom. The Modern Language Journal. 85(4), 549–566. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/0026-7902.00125

[22] Bailey, K.M., 1983. Competitiveness and Anxiety in Adult Second Language Learning: Looking at and Through the Diary Studies. In: Seliger, H.W., Long, M.H. (Eds.). Classroom-Oriented Research in Second Language Acquisition. Newbury House: Rowley, MA, USA. pp. 67–103.

[23] Truscott, J., 1999. What’s Wrong with Oral Grammar Correction. Canadian Modern Language Review. 55(4), 437–456. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3138/cmlr.55.4.437

[24] Lyster, R., Ranta, L., 1997. Corrective Feedback and Learner Uptake: Negotiation of Form in Communicative Classrooms. Studies in Second Language Acquisition. 19(1), 37–66. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263197001034

[25] Lightbown, P.M., Spada, N., 1990. Focus-on-Form and Corrective Feedback in Communicative Language Teaching: Effects on Second Language Learning. Studies in Second Language Acquisition. 12(4), 429–448. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263100009517

[26] Benson, P., 2013. Teaching and Researching: Autonomy in Language Learning. Routledge: London, UK.

[27] Holec, H., 1979. Autonomy and Foreign Language Learning. Pergamon Press: Oxford, UK.

[28] Skehan, P., 1998. A Cognitive Approach to Language Learning. Oxford University Press: Oxford, UK.

[29] Thornbury, S., 2005. How to Teach Speaking. Pearson: Harlow, UK.

[30] Harmer, J., 2007. The Practice of English Language Teaching, 4th ed. Pearson Longman ELT: Harlow, UK.

[31] Gkonou, C., 2017. Towards an Ecological Understanding of Language Anxiety. In: Gkonou, C., Daubney, M., Dewaele, J.-M. (Eds.). New Insights into Language Anxiety: Theory, Research and Educational Implications. Multilingual Matters: Bristol, UK. pp. 135–155.

[32] Richards, J.C., Rodgers, T.S., 2014. Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching, 3rd ed. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK.

[33] Ellis, R., 2008. Learner Beliefs and Language Learning. Asian EFL Journal. 10(4), 7–25.

[34] Littlewood, W., 2004. Second Language Learning. In: Davies, A., Elder, C. (Eds.). The Handbook of Applied Linguistics. Blackwell Publishing: Oxford, UK. pp. 501–524.

[35] Newton, J.M., Nation, I.S., 2020. Teaching ESL/EFL Listening and Speaking. Routledge: New York, NY, USA.

[36] Larsen-Freeman, D., Anderson, M., 2011. Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching, 3rd ed. Oxford University Press: Oxford, UK.

[37] Schmitt, N., 2000. Vocabulary in Language Teaching. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK.

[38] Ellis, R., 1997. Second Language Acquisition. Oxford University Press: Oxford, UK.

[39] Gass, S.M., Behney, J., Plonsky, L., 2020. Second Language Acquisition: An Introductory Course. Routledge: New York, NY, USA.

[40] Baxter, A., 1997. Evaluating Your Students. Richmond Publishing: London, UK.

[41] Braun, V., Clarke, V., 2006. Using Thematic Analysis in Psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology. 3(2), 77–101. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa

[42] Guest, G., Bunce, A., Johnson, L., 2006. How Many Interviews Are Enough? An Experiment with Data Saturation and Variability. Field Methods. 18(1), 59–82.

[43] MacIntyre, P.D., 1995. How Does Anxiety Affect Second Language Learning? A Reply to Sparks and Ganschow. The Modern Language Journal. 79(1), 90–99.

[44] Gregersen, T., Mercer, S. (Eds.), 2022. The Routledge Handbook of the Psychology of Language Learning and Teaching. Routledge: London, UK.

[45] Dweck, C.S., 2014. The Power of Believing That You Can Improve. Available from: https://www.ted.com/talks/carol_dweck_the_power_of_believing_that_you_can_improve?language=en (cited 10 April 2025).

[46] Goh, C.C., Hu, G., 2014. Exploring the Relationship Between Metacognitive Awareness and Listening Performance with Questionnaire Data. Language Awareness. 23(3), 255–274.

[47] Hyland, K., 2023. Expertise as Collaborative Practice. In Exploring Expertise in L2 Writing Instruction: Perspectives and Research. Routledge: New York, NY, USA.

[48] Hattie, J., 2012. Visible Learning for Teachers: Maximizing Impact on Learning, 1st ed. Routledge: London, UK.

[49] Stockwell, G., 2013. Technology and Motivation in English-Language Teaching and Learning. In: Ushioda, E. (Ed.). International Perspectives on Motivation: Language Learning and Professional Challenges. Palgrave Macmillan: London, UK. pp. 156–175.

[50] Johnson, D.W., Johnson, R.T., 1999. Making Cooperative Learning Work. Theory Into Practice. 38(2), 67–73.

[51] Brown, H.D., Abeywickrama, P., 2010. Language Assessment: Principles and Classroom Practices. Pearson: White Plains, NY, USA.

[52] Treasure, J., 2014. How to Speak So That People Want to Listen | Julian Treasure | TED. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIho2S0ZahI (cited 9 March 2025).

Downloads

How to Cite

Seref Akın, M. (2025). Psychological Barriers and Growth Mindset in Foreign Language Learning. Forum for Linguistic Studies, 7(12), 1603–1620. https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i12.9455

Issue

Vol. 7 , Iss. 12 (December 2025): In progress

Article Type

Article

License

Copyright © 2025 Mustafa Seref Akın

Creative Commons License

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