L2-Grit and Academic Buoyancy Among Tertiary-Level English Learners

Abstract

Language learning, both as a compulsory course at school and a longstanding pursuit, is not only cognitive but also an emotive endeavour, and it is not free of academic setbacks. How we react to the challenges and whether we persist or not act as critical factors in improving the sustainability of learning. Therefore, the present inquiry was designed to explore the relationship between academic buoyancy and L2 grit, viz. the persistence of effort and consistency of interest, among 122 English-majoring undergraduate students at a state university in Turkey. Drawing on convergent parallel mixed methods, the study collected and analysed all responses of the participants both quantitatively and qualitatively. The results revealed a positive and significant correlation between academic buoyancy and L2 grit, and additionally, indicated that academic buoyancy could be one of the predictors of L2 grit in the language learning process. The study highlighted the way students behaved in the face of academic challenges and the reasons for their being perseverant/not perseverant in learning English, as well. Pedagogical implications were discussed regarding the importance of Positive Psychology in L2 learning settings; thus, the findings of the present inquiry could offer insight into SLA research blending language learning with positive emotions.

Plain Language Summary

L2 Grit and Academic Buoyancy

English is an obligatory course at universities in Turkey, and it is also a part of lifelong learning process. Therefore, it is quite natural to experience challenges in learning English in such a long pursuit, and it is also crucial to sustain sense of perseverance at the same time. Accordingly, this study attempted to reveal the probable relationship between students coping skills (academic buoyancy) and persistence (grit) in language learning. 122 English majoring students participated in the study. It was found that the extent to which students can adapt to the academic challenges and setbacks could influence their persistence in learning English. That is, their ability to overcome the academic adversities could increase their level of persistence. Most of the students were found to be able to deal with the academic problems and they also reported persistence was an active solution they preferred to use in the face of difficulties. Similarly, most students had high levels of persistence in learning English for many reasons including intrinsic motivation, career concerns, their positive beliefs about learning itself or just a personal trait.

Keywords

academic buoyancy L2 grit positive psychology EFL language learning

Introduction

Though second language acquisition (SLA) is an affectively-driven act, emotions have been depreciated due to the focus on cognitive face of language learning for years; nonetheless, how emotions could shape the learning and teaching has been under the spotlight with the “affective turn” in applied linguistics (Richards, 2020). Although emotions include both positive and negative connotations, recent research on emotions within the frame of SLA has conventionally dwelt upon the negative ones (Ning, 2023; Shao et al., 2020), and the role of positive emotions has now constituted a growing avenue in SLA though comparatively little research attention so far (Dewaele et al., 2018). However, growing interest in positive psychology (PP) in SLA since the beginning of the 21st century has moved consideration towards positive emotions and their constructive roles in the learning process (Oladrostam et al., 2022).

Positive emotions, positive personality traits and positive institutions, also included among the main concerns of language learning, constitute the backbone of positive psychology (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000). However, positive psychology does not reject negative experiences; instead, approaches the difficulties from the perspective of strengths rather than weaknesses (MacIntyre, 2021). Regarding the roles of positive and negative emotions, Fredrickson’s (2001, 2004, 2013) Broaden-and-Build Theory stands out as a significant contribution of positive psychology, proposing that positive emotions broaden the individuals’ thoughts and actions whereas negative emotions narrow their mindsets over time. Positive emotions not only expand students’ vision but also help eliminate the recurring impacts of negative emotions, as underpinned by broaden-and-build theory (Alrabai, 2022).

Within the frame of language learning, grit and academic buoyancy, two of the potential PP factors, constitute the ground of the current inquiry. Grit is characterized by learners’ persistence, passion and effort for long-term learning targets (Duckworth et al., 2007), and academic buoyancy is referred as learners’ ability to successfully manage the commonly experienced academic setbacks throughout their schooling (Martin & Marsh, 2008). Given that language learning is a longstanding process, as MacIntyre and Mercer (2014) claim, it is significant to cultivate language learners’ experiences through supporting their perseverance and buoyancy to maintain long-term engagement in L2 learning. The interplay between grit and buoyancy could allow learners to demonstrate more sustained effort, thus making the learning process more conscious and constant. What is more, grit needs to be investigated more in language learning that is a long-term and challenging process where difficulties and setbacks are inevitable (Khajavy et al., 2021). As Pawlak et al. (2022) assert, new dimensions of individual differences (ID) have escaped the attention of SLA researchers, and there has also been a growing need to explore these new ID variables as interrelated factors rather than isolated ones. Therefore, the present study seeks to contribute to this gap and adds to understanding of the L2 grit and academic buoyancy of Turkish students majoring in English at tertiary level, an under-investigated context.

Literature Review

L2 Grit

Defined by Duckworth et al. (2007) as persistence, passion and endeavour for long-run objectives, grit involves two dimensions as consistency of interest and perseverance of effort. While the former dimension concerns sustaining interest even in the face of failures and challenges, the second dimension is related to the tendency for exerting an effort even when experiencing obstacles and setbacks (Liu, 2022; Y. Wang et al., 2021). Grit has been cited as a fundamental condition for success during the interviews with a number of people in various professions (Duckworth et al., 2007). It is also true for language learning since students who can maintain their effort and interest in the face of challenges can become successful (Khajavy & Aghaee, 2022)

Language learning, both as a fundamental unit of compulsory education since elementary school and as a lifelong act, requires effort, patience and persistence. Because language learning cannot be confined to a short period of time, grit presents itself as one of the critical stepping stones in this long process. Language learning necessitates long-run interest and commitment (Alamer, 2022) as well as effort and passion for long-term goals (Heydarnejad et al., 2022). Since mastery over a foreign language remarkably depends on sustained effort and passion for a long time (Dörnyei & Ushioda, 2013), grit as a non-cognitive positive emotional concept constitutes a notable component in language learning, as well (M. Wang et al., 2022). Long and gradual nature of language learning with various challenges and hardships is likely to cause learners to feel under stress and even helpless (X. Zhang, 2019), and this complicated process filled with numerous hurdles demands grit to ensure continuous learning (Fathi & Hejazi, 2023; Zhao & Wang, 2023). In other words, two aspects of grit, viz., perseverance of effort (PE) and consistency of interest (CI) assume a pivotal role in tackling the learning challenges and enhancing the will to strive for the academic goals (Zhao & Wang, 2023).

However, for the past decades, a body of research has explored the link between academic performance and grit in disciplines other than applied linguistics (Wei et al., 2020), and the early studies employed general domain grit scales and gauged the grit at a global level instead of ingraining it in the setting of language learning (Elahi Shirvan et al., 2021). As for the field of SLA, L2 learners’ grit was explored in two different forms as domain-general grit and language-specific grit, the former referring to the general grit in the context of L2 learning, which led to the inconsistent findings and necessitated more studies related to language-specific grit (S. Yang et al., 2022). Therefore, recent studies focused on L2 grit more and explored it in relation to different variables.

Teimouri et al. (2020), one of the first who developed a language-domain specific scale, found that L2 grit had positive correlation with L2 learning motivation and achievement more than the general-domain grit. Similarly, Pawlak et al. (2024) found the role of L2 grit in prompting the motivated behaviour among 549 English-major students at a Polish University. Lee (2022) also identified the grit as one of the positive antecedents of the L2 willingness to communicate in a study among three groups of 647 Korean EFL learners from middle school, high school and university. Another study conducted among 437 EFL learners (Elahi Shirvan et al., 2021) revealed a strong relation between L2 grit and foreign language enjoyment in Iranian context. Within the frame of negative emotions and grit, Sudina and Plonsky (2021) proposed evidence for the negative correlation between anxiety and L2 grit. There found to be a negative relation between grit and boredom among EFL learners, as well (Freiermuth et al., 2021) and L2 grit also predicted the way students could cope with the boredom among 259 English-majors in Turkey (Solhi et al., 2023). Additionally, J. Zhang and Zhang (2023) explored the relationship between grit and cognitive abilities in predicting the writing performance among a total of 353 EFL students majoring in different programmes such as education, electronic engineering, computer science, and business in Western China and found out significant influences of grit on their L2 writing performance. Another study (Sadoughi & Hejazi, 2023) among 295 Iranian EFL students enrolled in language institutions, high school and university at bachelor’s degree revealed the mediating role of L2 grit in the relationship between engagement and teacher support as well as engagement and growth language mindset, and accordingly concluded that EFL learners getting more teacher support and having greater growth language mindset could cope with the challenges better due to their grit, which in turn could boost their engagement. This finding could also hint at the interplay between L2 grit and academic buoyancy, which symbolizes students’ stance in the face of setbacks and difficulties in the educational milieu.

Despite the burgeoning interest in L2 grit and growing number of studies across various participants and contexts (Derakhshan & Fathi, 2023; Elahi Shirvan & Alamer, 2022; Kırmızı et al., 2023; Jin, 2024; Pawlak et al., 2024) we need greater insight and awareness into the grit in SLA (Khajavy et al., 2021; Lee, 2022) and more studies that are conducted in non-western contexts (Datu, 2021) and that tap into the antecedents of L2 grit (S. Yang et al., 2022).

Academic Buoyancy

It is legitimate and indisputable that studying in higher education settings encompasses academic difficulties and failures such as exam strains, hard workload, low grades and approaching deadlines (Martin & Marsh, 2008). It is the point where academic buoyancy presents itself. It is the psychological construct that reflects the students’ ability to overcome the relatively mitigated setbacks and challenges of school life within a positive context (Jahedizadeh et al., 2019) and it embraces the efforts to take proactive rather than reactive steps against the obstacles and difficulties in the educational realm and relates to how the students cope with the strenuous learning situations and experiences (Yun et al., 2018). It is pertinent to the highs and lows and temporary problems of the everyday academic life that hinder the students’ motivation and engagement (Jia & Cheng, 2022; Martin & Marsh, 2009; Yun et al., 2018).

Academic buoyancy is a psycho-educational concept inspired by positive psychology, and seems to be significant for sound academic performance among students (Collie et al., 2017). It has the potential to affect both educational and psychological outcomes (Xu & Wang, 2022). Existing literature related to academic buoyancy sheds light into its links with various variables. For instance, a longitudinal study (Martin et al., 2010) explored the motivational predictors of academic buoyancy and put forth 5Cs of the academic buoyancy as confidence (self-efficacy), coordination (planning), commitment (persistence), composure (low anxiety), and control (low uncertain control). Similarly, another study (Martin et al., 2017) found a high and positive relationship between academic buoyancy and adaptability and identified these constructs as the predictors of motivation and engagement. Likewise, in another study, academic buoyancy was found to be related to high enjoyment and hope, thus boosting positive expectations and adaptive behaviours in learning environments (Hirvonen et al., 2020).

Academic buoyancy, as a promising concept in SLA (Sudina & Plonsky, 2021), is associated with L2 grit, especially with the perseverance of effort, in that students keep their persistence to pursue the goal of learning an L2 in the face of potential challenges due to their buoyancy although they could sometimes lose their interest in the long run (S. Yang et al., 2022). Another study conducted with 376 EFL students at different degrees as BA, MA, and PhD in Iranian setting revealed positive associations of academic buoyancy with personal best and sustained flow while detecting a negative relationship with higher level apprehension (Jahedizadeh et al., 2021). Furthermore, the study carried out among 394 English major students at Iranian tertiary context highlighted the significant relationship between self-assessment and academic buoyancy and concluded that self-assessment could foster students’ academic buoyancy in the face of challenges (Heydarnejad et al., 2022). Likewise, Nurjamin et al. (2023) reported that academic buoyancy maximizes the benefits obtained from self-assessment and test-anxiety management in the EFL setting in a study carried out 394 third-year students in Turkish context. Zheng et al. (2023) examining the role of social networking tools found that use of Telegram improved the levels of academic buoyancy among 824 EFL students in China and Iran. Additionally, modelling the relationship of EFL students’ academic buoyancy and self-efficacy with L2 grit, S. Yang et al. (2022) pointed out that academic buoyancy and self-efficacy significantly influence L2 grit, and buoyant and self-efficacious students are more likely to be gritty in learning English. However, given the nature of self-report scales, they tend to generate social desirability bias (Sudina et al., 2021) and be influenced differences across cultures (Anvari et al., 2023; Pekrun, 2020). Thus, Sun et al. (2024) proposes methodological triangulation such as the use of mixed methods design to ensure a thorough comprehension of the relevant relationships among variables.

This Study

As two significant PP constructs, L2 grit and academic buoyancy occupies a pivotal role in language learning achievement and the sustainability of learning outcomes, Hence, the present study is an attempt to unveil the potential relationship between L2 grit and academic buoyancy among English-majoring EFL undergraduates. L2 grit needs more studies (Shirvan et al., 2022), and academic buoyancy still remains unexplored and needs greater attention (Heydarnejad et al., 2022). In fact, studies on L2-grit and academic buoyancy have been done dominantly in Western contexts. In Turkey, English is a compulsory course across all education levels, and students are often subjected to exam based-assessments even throughout their university education, which places relatively high pressure on them. Additionally, mastery over the English language for English-majors in Turkey is key to greater job opportunities. At the same time, values such as grit is valued in Turkish society (Yılmaz & Çapuk, 2022). Hence, the present study seeks to contribute to this gap and adds to understanding of the L2 grit and academic buoyancy of Turkish students majoring in English at tertiary level, an under-investigated context.

This study tries to find answers through not only a quantitative but also a qualitative inquiry. To this end, the study addresses the following research questions:

RQ1: To what extent do EFL undergraduates demonstrate L2-grit and academic buoyancy?

RQ2: How do gender and age relate to L2 grit and academic buoyancy?

RQ3: Why do learners potentially show persistent/non-persistent behaviours in L2 learning?

RQ4: How do EFL learners react in the face of a setback in foreign language learning?

RQ5: How does the statistical analyses characterize the relationship between L2-grit and academic buoyancy?

Methodology

Research Design

The current study utilized the convergent parallel mixed method research design. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were mixed to gain a more comprehensive insight into and triangulated results on the issues of L2 grit and academic buoyancy (Dawadi et al., 2021). Firstly, two types of data sets were gathered concurrently, and then they were analysed separately using both quantitative and qualitative analysis methods, and lastly, the findings were integrated at the interpretation phase in subsequent to the qualitative and quantitative data analyses (Creswell & Plano-Clark, 2017; Halcomb & Hickman, 2015; Shorten & Smith, 2017; W. Zhang & Creswell, 2013). Such a research design involving two different data collection and analysis methods allowed the study to process independent but complementary data to answer the relevant research questions.

Procedure and Participants

The participants of the study involved 122 English-majoring undergraduates at a state university in Turkey. The students were enrolled in the Department of Translation and Interpreting, a 4-year BA programme. Both female (n = 72) and male (n = 50) students participated the study on a voluntary basis without any interference. Before starting the data gathering, informed consent was taken from all students verbally. Participants were informed about the study’s purpose, the voluntary nature of their involvement, and the confidentiality and anonymity of their responses. They were ensured that their responses would be used only for research purposes and would influence their studies or grades at all. They were also given a chance not to participate if they wished. The students willingly chose to take part in the study and completed the data collection questions. Their ages ranged from 17 to 28 and over. The descriptive findings of the demographics were presented in Table 1:

Table 1.

Study Demographics.

Demographics	f	%
Gender
Female	72	59
Male	50	41
Age
17–20	40	32.8
21−24	63	51.6
25−27	10	8.2
28 or over	9	7.4

The number of the females slightly outnumbered the male students, and the majority of the participants were at the ages between 21 and 24.

Data Collection Instruments

Both quantitative and qualitative tools were used in the present inquiry. Quantitative data were gathered through two different scales as L2-Grit Scale and Academic Buoyancy Scale. Language-domain-specific grit scale (L2-Grit) developed by Teimouri et al. (2020) specifically gauges the students’ grit in L2 contexts. The scale had two related but distinct sub-dimensions as perseverance of effort and consistency of interest like the domain-general grit scale developed by Duckworth et al. (2007). Perseverance of effort measured the level of the students’ persistence in realizing their language goals, and consistency of effort surveyed the changes in learners’ interest during the language learning process. This five-point Likert scale consisted of nine items (five items measuring perseverance of effort such as I will not allow anything to stop me from my progress in learning English, and four items measuring consistency of interest such as My interests in learning English change from year to year) ranging from 1 “not at all like me” to 5 “very much like me.” It also had an alpha coefficient of .80.

Academic buoyancy scale developed by Martin and Marsh (2008) assesses the students’ coping skills for setback, challenge, stress and pressure occurring in school life, in other words their academic resilience. The scale evaluated the academic buoyancy through four items with seven points ranging from 1 “strongly disagree” to 7 “strongly agree.” It did not have reverse coded items, as well.

The qualitative data were obtained through open-ended question form. The form involved two different questions referring to L2 grit and academic buoyancy, respectively. The questions were formed considering two core variables of the study in line with the scale items and relevant literature. The first question was prepared with two options as follows:

Choose one of the sentences below and complete the sentence:

I am perseverant in learning English because …

I am not perseverant in learning English because …

These qualitative questions went deeper into the students’ L2 grit by examining their perceived reasons. The second open-ended question aimed to address the academic buoyancy of the students in dealing with a potential barrier in learning English. This question also attempted to elicit in-depth responses on how the student would act in face of a difficulty in learning English.

Both quantitative and qualitative parts of the study were carried out with 122 participants. Not only scales but also the open-ended question form were administered to all students.

Data Analysis

Since the present study used mixed methods research (MMR), the analyses were conducted both quantitatively and qualitatively. The responses to the scales were analysed through quantitative statistics, using SPSS 23.0. Both descriptive and parametric inferential statistics were employed in the analyses. Descriptive quantitative findings were presented through frequencies, percentages and mean scores. T-test, one way-ANOVA, correlation and linear regression tests were performed to present the findings of the inferential statistics. G*Power analysis was also performed to calculate the power of the relation between the variables. To apply parametric tests, normality of the data set was checked through numerical methods. To identify the normal distribution of the data, skewness and kurtosis values were tested for both variables as presented in Table 2:

Table 2.

Skewness and Kurtosis Values.

Variables	Sample size	Skewness	SE skewness	Z skewness	Kurtosis	SE kurtosis	Z kurtosis
L2-Grit	122	−0.385	0.219	1.75	−0.640	0.435	147
Academic buoyancy	122	−0.561	0.219	2.56	−0.097	0.435	0.22

A distribution is called approximate normal if skewness or kurtosis (excess) of the data are between −1 and +1 (Mishra et al., 2019). Results indicated that data were normally distributed since skewness (−0.385 and −0.561) and kurtosis (−0.640 and −0.097) individually were within ±1 for both L2-grit and academic buoyancy, respectively. A z-test was also applied for normality test by dividing the skewness values or excess kurtosis value by their standard errors. For medium-sized samples (50 < n < 300), absolute z-value ±3.29 concludes that the distribution of the sample is normal (Kim, 2013). Critical ratio (Z value) of the skewness (1.75 and 2.56) and kurtosis (147 and 0.22) were for both L2-grit and academic buoyancy, respectively within ±3.29, which is also evident to normally distributed data. Based on these results, such parametric analyses as t-test, one way ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and regression were performed to determine the possible relationships among the variables.

The qualitative data were examined through conventional content analysis. This analysis technique was chosen to conduct an in-depth exploration through systematic organization of the qualitative data. The responses were read and reread to catch the sense of the whole, meanings were condensed and categorized, and codes were generated out of these condensed themes (Erlingsson & Brysiewicz, 2017). In other words, through deep reading, occurrence and co-occurrence of similar concepts were identified, responses that were irrelevant to the question were removed, and responses with similar meanings were merged under the relevant categories and their frequencies were obtained. All these stages were duplicated to elicit the condensed, meaningful and concrete results. To ensure the validity of the data, direct quotations of the participants were included into the findings, and codes were also supported with numerical content analysis through giving frequencies of the similar responses to picture a comprehensive result, which could increase the credibility. In addition, the number of participants was kept high even in the qualitative part of the study to provide more generalized findings, which could also support the transferability of the data. As for the reliability, the data were presented without the researcher’s comments in the findings, and they were interpreted in relation to existing literature in the discussion, which could contribute to the dependability of the data. The data were also triangulated with the quantitative findings.

Findings

Findings of the study were presented in two sections based on the quantitative and qualitative results.

Quantitative Findings

Quantitative findings included quantitative statistical results of both L2-Grit and Academic Buoyancy Scales. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were given in tables.

As apparent in Table 3, findings revealed that EFL undergraduates seemed to have a moderately high level of L2-grit in general (X = 3.83). As to the components of grit, they were found to have slightly higher levels in PE (X = 3.99) than CI (X = 3.64). Similarly, students could be said to have a fairly high level of academic buoyancy, as well, considering their mean scores (X = 4.67). More specifically, percentages of each item for academic buoyancy were given in Figure 1:

Table 3.

Mean Scores of L2-Grit and Academic Buoyancy.

Variables	Min.	Max.	X	SD
Perseverance of effort (PE)	1.80	5.00	3.99	0.763
Consistency of interest (CI)	1.00	5.00	3.64	1.062
General L2-Grit	1.67	5.00	3.83	0.757
General academic buoyancy	1.00	7.00	4.67	1.486

Figure 1.

Findings related to academic buoyancy.

The percentages apparently indicated that higher percentages of the students’ responses for academic buoyancy ranged from agree somewhat to strongly agree, that is, they believed that they could keep their self-confidence, manage schoolwork pressure and stress, and deal with setbacks. More than half of the students claimed not to let bad scores influence their confidence and to handle school work pressures effectively. Majority of the students believed that they could cope with academic setbacks and stress.

Table 4 demonstrates the relationship of each variable with gender. Independent samples t-test results indicated that female students had higher scores in L2-grit, including the sub-components while male students got higher scores in academic buoyancy than females. However, these differences were not found to be statistically significant (p > .05).

Table 4.

Independent t-Test Results for L2-Grit and Academic Buoyancy.

Gender	N	X	SD	t	df	p
L2-Grit
Female	72	3.92	0.731	1.43	120	.154
Male	50	3.72	0.786
PE
Female	72	4.04	0.707	0.84	120	.399
Male	50	3.92	0.840
CI
Female	72	3.76	0.991	1.53	120	.127
Male	50	3.46	1.143
Buoyancy
Female	72	4.52	1.394	−1.322	120	.189
Male	50	4.88	1.599

One-way ANOVA test results also in Table 5 found no statistically significant difference in L2-grit and academic buoyancy among age groups. That is, age did not cause a difference in students’ levels of grit and buoyancy (p > .05).

Table 5.

One-Way ANOVA Results of Age for L2-Grit and Academic Buoyancy.

Age	Sum of squares	df	Mean square	f	Sig.
L2-Grit
Between groups	1.668	3	0.556	0.968	0.410
Within groups	67.741	118	0.574
Total	69.409	121
Between groups	0.930	3	0.310	0.525	0.666
PE
Within groups	69.669	118	0.590
Total	70.600	121
Between groups	6.023	3	2.008	1.816	0.148
CI
Within groups	130.476	118	1.106
Total	136.498	121
Between groups	6.017	3	2.006	0.906	0.441
Buoyancy
Within groups	261.368	118	2.215
Total	267.385	121

Correlation test results revealed a statistically significant relationship between academic buoyancy and L2-grit (p < .05) as indicated in Table 6. This relationship was found to be at medium level in a positive direction. That is, as academic buoyancy levels of the students rise, they tend to show higher levels of grit in learning English.

Table 6.

Correlation Between L2-Grit and Academic Buoyancy.

Variables	N	r	p
Academic buoyancy: L2-Grit	122	0.325	.000

After significant correlation was detected between academic buoyancy and L2-grit, linear regression analysis was performed to find out whether academic buoyancy would predict grit in learning English. Based on the results in Table 7, it could be concluded that the overall regression model was statistically significant (f = 14.177, p < .05) and academic buoyancy could predict L2-grit by 10.6%. Though the amount variation explained by academic buoyancy was low (R² = .106), it could act as one predictor of grit in learning language in a positive direction. Furthermore, a posthoc power analysis was conducted using G*Power (version 3.1.9.4) to evaluate the adequacy of the statistical power for the linear regression analysis. Based on a medium-to-large effect size (f² = 0.35), an alpha level of .01, and a total sample size of N = 122, the analysis revealed a statistical power (1 − β) of .99. This indicates a very high likelihood of detecting a true effect of academic buoyancy on L2-grit.

Table 7.

Regression Results Related to L2-Grit and Academic Buoyancy.

Independent variable	Dependent variable	B	Std. error	β	t	R	R ²	f	p
Academic buoyancy	L2-Grit	3.066	0.216	.325	14.222	.325	0.106	14.177	<.001

Qualitative Findings

Findings related to the qualitative analyses of the open-ended question form were presented for academic buoyancy and L2-grit, respectively.

A great many of the students responded positively and they seemed to attempt to find an active solution rather than passive acceptance or avoidance in the face of a barrier while learning English. The analyses in Table 8 revealed more resilient behaviours. Commitment, as one of the C’s of academic buoyancy, came up as the most frequently cited behaviour against a setback or difficulty. Their commitment or persistence appeared in various forms as searching alternative ways to solve the problem, continuing to study harder and trying to understand the causes of the problem.

Table 8.

Reactions of the Students in the Face a Setback in FL Learning.

Categories	Codes
Buoyant behaviour	Commitment (f = 105)Social Support Seeking (f = 16)Use of Multimodal Tools (f = 7)
Non-buoyant behaviour	Give-up (f = 4)

Excerpt 1: I would understand the problem at first. Then I focus on how to fix it. For example, if my listening skill wasn’t good enough, I would try to improve it. I would listen to music or podcast maybe or I would watch movies.

Excerpt 2: If I face a barrier in learning English, I try to determine whether it is because of me. If it is a personal obstacle, at first, I try to overcome the personal problems that I have identified in order to remove the obstacle. If this obstacle is not caused by me, I try to eliminate the factors that caused this obstacle.

Excerpt 3: I usually try to find out what the problem is if I face an obstacle. I try different ways of learning and do research. But I never give up on learning English.

Excerpt 4: I try to solve it and continue to learn from where I leave it.

Another coping strategy emerged as social support seeking from instructors, friends or those with better command of English.

Excerpt 5: I would try to overcome it with the help of my teachers and my friends.

Excerpt 6: I ask somebody who is good at English.

In addition, trying to solve the problem through use of multimodal tools such as watching videos or searching more on the internet was found to be among their strategies. Nevertheless, a limited number of responses were related to non-buoyant behaviours such as giving up or ignoring the problem. As found in quantitative findings, buoyant students persist more instead of giving up.

Excerpt 7: Rest. And then I would watch some videos about it.

Excerpt 8: I will try to overcome but if it doesn’t work out, I probably give up.

Table 9 shows that great majority of the responses (n = 107) were oriented towards being perseverant in learning English, which is in line with the quantitative findings. Love for English in general was the most frequently cited reason for persistence in learning despite setbacks or difficulties. Not only English but also learning new things and new cultures seemed to increase their motivation to learn. Some students found learning English enjoyable while some the language learning process itself.

Excerpt 9: I am very interested in English language.

Excerpt 10: I am enthusiastic about learning English.

Excerpt 11: I enjoy being able to understand movies, games, or articles in TL.

Table 9.

Reasons for Being Perseverant in Learning English.

I am perseverant …
Categories	Codes
Intrinsic motivation	I love English (27)I enjoy learning new things in a new language (7)It is part of my life (5)It is my passion (3)It is enjoyable (2)I like language learning process (2)
Perceived instrumentality	It is for my future career (16)It is a tool for my future goals (6)I want to travel abroad (4)
Mastery orientation	I want to improve English (8)I want to improve myself (2)I want to be successful (2)I want to be well-rounded person/translator (2)
Learning beliefs	There is more to learn (3)Good things/ Language learning takes time (3)Learning is lifelong (2)Learning a language requires effort (2)
Personal trait	I never give up (4)I like to challenge myself (2)I am good at learning a language (2)I like to be lifelong learner

Some reasons for being perseverant in English were categorized under perceived instrumentality, which referred to the participants’ viewing the function of English learning from the future-time perspective. Highly cited instrumental reason was their prospective occupation. They appeared to need English not only for their career but also for their future goals. They also believed that learning English could be the way to travel abroad.

Excerpt 12: My future job/ I need to improve it.

Excerpt 13: It is a tool to reach my goals in my career.

Excerpt 14: It will greatly benefit my future.

Mastery orientation which could be described as having the goal of learning and mastering a task emerged as another theme after the analyses. Motivation to improve English and themselves, thus to be a well-rounded and successful person were found to be related to the students’ mastery orientation.

Excerpt 15: I am perseverant in learning English to improve my English and be a good user.

Excerpt 16: I am perseverant in learning English to use it more efficiently.

Furthermore, students put forth their perceptions as regards learning itself. Their belief that they did not complete the things to be learnt and learning a language takes time and effort seemed to keep them motivated and perseverant. Another important idea that emerged from analyses is their positive attitude towards lifelong learning.

Excerpt 17: Learning a language is not simple. It is complicated and requires effort.

Excerpt 18: There is no end for learning.

As a personal trait, their wish to be lifelong learners was found to be among the reasons sustaining their perseverance. Tendency to challenge themselves and not to give up easily were the individual features facilitating perseverance. They also attributed their competency in learning a language and studying hard to their persistence in English learning.

Excerpt 19: I spent my years; I do not give up

Excerpt 20: I am successful in learning languages.

Compared to positive responses above, only 11 responses were associated with not being perseverant in learning English as presented in Table 10. Out of the thematic analyses, most of the reasons for lack of grit were found to be self-related. Loss of interest and negative self-concepts such as being unsuccessful or non-ambitious were remarked as the possible reasons. Some responses referred to the nature of language claiming that subjects are getting harder to learn and language needs exposure to be acquired, not effort. Additionally, financial concerns in their profession seemed to decrease their motivation to improve their English. In sum, both quantitative and qualitative findings indicated higher buoyancy and L2-grit among students.

Table 10.

Reasons for Not Being Perseverant in Learning English.

I am not perseverant …..
Categories	Codes
Self-related	I lost my interest (3)I am not successfulI can get bored easilyI am not ambitious personI have already learnt English well enoughI do not find it necessary
Language-related	It is getting more difficultLanguage is not learnt through study, but acquired through exposure
Other	I will not get paid enough for my effort

Discussion

The present inquiry was an attempt to explore two under-researched constructs in L2 learning, viz. grit and academic buoyancy grounded on Positive Psychology. Using a convergent parallel mixed method design, the study explored these concepts both quantitatively and qualitatively. English-majoring undergraduates at a state university in Turkey constituted the participants.

When students pursue the goal of learning a foreign language, the processes they go through, their reactions to the instructions and the degree of their achievement in this attempt rest on their individual traits (Pawlak et al., 2022). Academic buoyancy and grit, accepted as personality traits (Aguerre et al., 2022; Datu et al., 2017; Li et al., 2023) have the potential to shape language learning process. Thus, the individual differences and characteristics that students carry to their learning could also influence both their mindsets and those of their instructors.

As an answer to the first research question, the findings of this study indicated that English-majoring EFL learners had a moderately high level of L2 grit. Zawodniak et al. (2021) find this quite natural and expected because students choosing an English-specific major set out to gain mastery over the target language and welcome the challenges and failures. Regarding two pillars of grit, they seemed to have perseverance of effort slightly higher than the consistency of interest. This finding is similarly linked with another study conducted among English-majors, as well (Gyamfi & Lai, 2020), implying that gritty students have the tendency to sustain their effort despite the possible fluctuations in the level of their interest since language learning represents a long journey. This also echoes the evidence from Credé et al. (2017) meta-analysis of 88 separate studies indicating that perseverance of effort had a stronger association with all academic performance. Similar results were documented by Feng and Papi (2020) who found PE as the strongest predictor of L2 persistence and motivational intensity. While keeping high interest in L2 learning has a critical role in achievement, it seems natural for interest to wane in a long-term due to a diversity of variables. What stands out as important is not to let this loss pervade and to find ways to refresh the interest and motivation. In fact, sustainability becomes essential at this phase since sustained effort and enthusiasm offer sound solutions in the long run. Within a broader picture, sustainable learning also contributes to retention of knowledge and skills, learners’ well-being, and continuous improvement (Hays & Reinders, 2020).

When it comes to gender, the focus of second research question, though not statistically significant, female students appeared to have greater levels of L2 grit. Hodge et al. (2018) also found no significant difference in gender, concluding there could be situation-specific reasons behind this. They also claimed that gender differences in grit stop in prior to university enrolment. Actually, there is lack of empirical evidence that taps into the baffling boundaries between male and female counterparts in the construct of grit (Kumar & Rathee, 2019). On the other hand, males were found to have higher academic buoyancy in this study, with no significant difference, though. However, there are studies documenting significantly greater academic buoyancy among male students (Martin & Marsh, 2008; Martin et al., 2010). Similarly, age did not cause any significant difference among the participants in terms of L2 grit and academic buoyancy in this study. Given that a great majority of the students in the current study were between 17 and 24, the age range was not wide; this could account for the lack of significant difference. Thus, more studies should be carried out if we are to draw a more general picture on the role of gender and age in gritty and buoyant behaviours of students in L2 learning settings.

The qualitative findings of this study also unravelled greater perseverance of students in learning English in line with the quantitative results. The third research question aimed to reveal the probable reasons for being/not being perseverant in learning English. Different reasons for being perseverant in learning English were related to the students’ intrinsic motivation, perceived instrumentality, mastery orientation, learning beliefs and personal traits. Love for English and joy of learning new things in a new language constituted the main indicators of their intrinsic motivation. Different studies also recorded the positive relationship between intrinsic motivation and grit (Changlek & Palanukulwong, 2015; Pleace & Nicholls, 2022) since intrinsically motivated students find learning more interesting, enjoyable and important (Karlen et al., 2019). The participants also appeared to cling to the prospective function of English learning in the future, and among the reasons for their persistence to improve English proficiency were their career aspirations and future goals. From a socio-psychological aspect, English has been a significant channel for vocational success in Turkey, and English proficiency has paved the way for better opportunities in job-seeking. Gyamfi and Lai (2020) also detected the career choices as an influencing factor for grit among English-majoring students. In fact, this type of extrinsic motivation could be viewed as identified regulation based on Deci and Ryan’s Self-Determination Theory (Ryan & Deci, 2000) since the participating students personally found it important to show perseverance to obtain better job opportunities. Moreover, the participants’ mastery orientation, one of the reasons for showing perseverance, was oriented to their personal and professional development. They reported that they tried to keep their persistence while learning English because they wanted to improve both themselves as an individual and their target language. Montano (2023) also indicated that mastery-oriented students showed persistence even in the face of difficulty, and being mastery-oriented led to greater perseverance and adaptability, which could in turn benefit both personally and academically. University students who invest in not only academic but also personal improvement are more likely to feel more equipped even before the graduation. What is more, their beliefs of learning itself also seemed to influence their perseverance in learning English. The life-wide and demanding nature of learning also shaped the students’ patience and persistence. Likewise, in a study conducted by Weisskirch (2018) attitudes towards lifelong learning predicted perseverance. Therefore, adopting positive attitudes towards lifelong learning and embracing the never-ending nature of learning could allow students to focus on the process, rather than solely outcomes, and thus to get more perseverant and buoyant even in the face of challenges. Last but not least, their self-concepts or their self-definitions as learners were found to have a role in showing persistent behaviours in learning English. This finding echoes the other studies indicating the positively predictive role of academic self-concept in grit (Awan et al., 2023) and more specifically the positive relation between academic self-concept and grit-PE (Chen & Gong, 2021; L. Yang et al., 2023). Considering that high self-concept is positively correlated with perseverance (Skinner et al., 1990), low-self concepts are likely to influence perseverance of students adversely. In this study, lack of grit among the EFL students were mostly linked to be self-related factors, including loss of interest and negative self-perceptions as learners. Self-attributed negative traits seemed to have an adverse effect on their persistence to learn English. Another study also indicated that students with higher English self-concepts had greater willingness to learn English and perseverance to deal with the challenging tasks (Wu & Kuo, 2015). Therefore, not only teaching English but also helping the students to develop more realistic and favourable self-beliefs could enhance their sustained effort and willingness to study English. Touching both cognition and emotion is likely to offer a comprehensive insight into the language learning process.

The transition to university brings a number of interpersonal, social and academic challenges for the undergraduates (Baker, 2003; Edjah et al., 2020). Concerning academic buoyancy, the participants of this study exhibited a relatively high ability to cope with the pressure, stress and setbacks in their learning process, as probed in the first research question. They also reported to keep their self-confidence high even despite poor grades. In a similar vein, in line with the fourth research question, qualitative findings also revealed more buoyant behaviours in the face of a setback in FL learning. Most of the solutions the participants consulted turned out to be commitment, as one of the C’s of buoyancy (Martin et al., 2010). Their commitment or persistence appeared in various forms as searching alternative ways to solve the problem, continuing to study harder and trying to understand the causes of the problem. Social support seeking from instructors, friends or those with better command of English presented itself as another coping strategy. Existing literature also revealed that social support could lessen foreign language anxiety (Huang et al., 2010; C. Wang et al., 2023), cultivate positive academic emotions (Xie & Guo, 2023), predict L2 grit (Hejazi & Sadoughi, 2023), promote students’ willingness to communicate in the classroom (MacIntyre et al., 2001) and prevent the sense of isolation and increase motivation through influencing their self-regulatory strategies (Bown, 2009). Additionally, trying to solve the problem through use of multimodal tools such as watching videos or searching more on the internet were among their buoyant behaviours. In other words, they appeared to benefit from technology to address the potential problems in their language learning process. As Lai and Gu (2011) claim, use of technology in out-of-classroom language learning could help learners to regulate their learning experiences. Finding answers to the questions in their mind through the technology available could also enable students to keep their persistence. Nevertheless, a limited number of responses were related to non-buoyant behaviours such as giving up or ignoring the problem.

The last research question addressed the probable relationship between L2 grit an academic buoyancy, and as two promising constructs in language learning, they were found to be significantly associated in this study. The positive relation indicated that greater buoyancy could promote grit in language learning. Another study also found a significant correlation between L2 and buoyancy among high school students (Ghafouri & Tahriri, 2023). Along with the positive correlation in the current study, academic buoyancy predicted L2 grit; thus, academic buoyancy could be attributed as one of the potential antecedents of L2 grit among EFL learners. Similarly, another study exploring the model of interrelationship among L2 grit, academic buoyancy and self-efficacy documented that academic buoyancy affected L2 grit significantly and buoyant students could be grittier in learning English (S. Yang et al., 2022). Complementing this, Alazemi et al. (2023) indicated that academic buoyancy could boost EFL undergraduates’ L2 grit tendencies. Hence, it seems critical to show the students potential ways of handling the academic challenges and setbacks if we are to feed their senses of grit in language learning. If students internalize the habit of finding solutions to their academic problems, they can get more willing to exert effort instead of giving up easily. Furthermore, Mohammed Hosseini et al. (2023) reported that students with greater academic buoyancy experience lower levels of disengagement, monotony and dissatisfaction, which could be interpreted as students’ higher tendency to maintain their effort and perseverance. This also implies the power of positive emotions in lessening the negative ones. As highlighted in Fredrickson’s Build-and-Broaden Theory (2001, 2004, 2013), nourishing positive feelings are likely to open greater spaces for positive outcomes in learning. Ghanizadeh (2022) also found that resilience positively predicted grit among university students especially in the midst of Covid-19 Pandemic. Though not among learners but L2 teachers, another study also revealed the positive contribution of resilience to grit as a significant predictor (Shahvarani et al., 2023). Thus, language teachers could act as role models for students in trying to deal with the obstacles in academic life and in sustaining their effort and interest. Persisting in learning despite academic difficulties and setting long-term goals are more needed for both students and instructors in higher education institutions, which serve as key places for lifelong learning.

Conclusion

It would be a fallacy to presume language learning to have only cognitive resources without taking account of the essential role of emotions. As a matter of fact, language learning embraces personal selves (Gallager, 2018) and studies on cognitive processes in language learning are conducted through an integrated emotional-cognitive brain (Swain, 2013). However, traditional dichotomy of cognition and emotion has prevented viewing human and human learning as a whole; thus, overshadowing the emotional experiences of learners. Putting L2 grit and academic buoyancy into the spotlight as two non-cognitive variables, the present inquiry set out to contribute to the gap in the literature by emphasizing the critical role of emotions, especially the positive ones, in language learning.

English-majors had moderately high level of L2-grit, and being perseverant in learning English were attributed to the students’ intrinsic motivation, perceived instrumentality, mastery orientation, learning beliefs and personal traits. Concerning academic buoyancy, the participants were found to have a relatively high level of abilities to cope with the pressure, stress and setbacks in their learning process. Most of the solutions the participants consulted turned out to be commitment followed by social support seeking. The significantly positive relation between academic buoyancy and L2 grit indicated that greater buoyancy could promote grit in language learning. Academic buoyancy also predicted L2 grit; thus, academic buoyancy could be attributed as one of the potential antecedents of L2 grit among EFL learners.

Based on the findings of the current study and the relevant literature, it is safe to say that language instructors should focus on the students’ positive emotions more rather than only considering the negative ones. They should not neglect the power of positive feelings in language learning and their role in lowering the effects of negative emotions. They should build a positive classroom climate, and avoid decreasing students’ motivation through negative approach and attitude. At this point, Positive Psychology could fuel language learning and teaching both at theoretical and practical levels. Transfer of PP into SLA research should be increased to raise greater awareness. Additionally, instructors should emphasize the long-run nature of language learning and possibility of encountering problems in this journey. This could encourage students to get more realistic in their learning process and more motivated to keep their effort and interest, viz. grit. Instructors could also show failures or challenges as chances for students to change their study skills and strategies, when necessary. They could also employ formative assessment to address students’ stress and promote their grit. Furthermore, well-organized peer mentoring could be encouraging for students to voice their challenges and thus to maintain their persistence. Regarded to have a malleable nature (Shafiee Rad & Jafarpour, 2022; Teimouri et al., 2020), L2 grit could be improved by touching the behavioural, cognitive, and affective sides of learning (Hwang & Nam, 2021). Therefore, instructors could guide and role-model their students in maintaining their grit while learning L2.

Last but not least, the potential relation between academic buoyancy and L2 grit could be explored using a greater number of samples. Another study could be conducted among both English-majoring and non-English majoring students to identify the probable differences in their stance to buoyancy and grit, if any. Considering the long-term characteristics of language learning, longitudinal and cross-sectional studies could be carried out to observe the possible changes in different years of university education. Additionally, given that emotions do not have a linear nature, mediators such as growth mindset, cognitive flexibility, self-efficacy, teacher attitude, and L2 motivation should be explored in future studies.

This mixed-method inquiry was conducted to unveil the probable relationship between two non-cognitive factors as L2 grit and academic buoyancy among English-majors. The number of the participants, one of the limitations of the study, could be increased in a further study to reach more generalized results. Another limitation was the use of self-reported scales. Mixed-methods design was employed to ensure methodological triangulation. However, use of open-ended question form as an instrument for qualitative data instead of interview did not allow checking the responses together with the participants although this instrument allowed adequate time to reflect upon the question. The modest explanatory power of regression result constituted another limitation in presenting a stronger predictive role of buoyancy. Accordingly, other limitation appeared not to include mediators and/or moderators to elicit more refined results.

Footnotes

Author Note

I declare that the work is original, unpublished, and not submitted for publication in any other journal.

ORCID iD

Gökçe Dişlen Dağgöl

Consent to Participate

Before starting the data gathering, informed consent was taken from all students verbally. Participants were informed about the study’s purpose, the voluntary nature of their involvement, and the confidentiality and anonymity of their responses. They were ensured that their responses would be used only for research purposes and would influence their studies or grades at all. They were also given a chance not to participate if they wished. The students willingly chose to take part in the study

Funding

The author received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The author declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Data Availability Statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the author upon reasonable request.

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