Can linguistic landscape enhance students’ foreign language enjoyment and learning through self-efficacy? Moderating role of language policy

Abstract

This study aims to investigate how the linguistic landscape can affect self-efficacy to improve the students’ foreign language enjoyment and learning in China with an emphasis on the moderating effect of language policy. It is crucial to establish how these factors influence students’ achievement in foreign language education in China. The current study sample comprised 550 students from different educational institutes in Beijing, China. Data were collected using convenience sampling technique. The study applied structural equation modeling (SEM) for analyzing the data using IBM SPSS AMOS software. The results affirm all proposed hypotheses. The findings reveal that linguistic landscape has a direct influence on self-efficacy (H1) and foreign language enjoyment and learning (H2). Self-efficacy has a positive effect on foreign language enjoyment and learning (H3). Self-efficacy positively mediates the relationship between linguistic landscape and foreign language enjoyment and learning (H4). Language policy has a positive and significant moderation effect between self-efficacy and foreign language enjoyment and learning. This study should be appreciated by educational institutions in recognizing the existing linguistic landscape as well as the policy that should be adopted in foreign language learning to improve the learning process and achievement.