Teacher Support in Enhancing Willingness to Communicate: The Mediating Effect of Growth Language Mindset

ABSTRACT This study examined how teacher support (TS) and growth language mindset (GLM) influence learners’ willingness to communicate (WTC) in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms. Data from a survey of 643 university students in Northeast China were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS‐SEM). Results indicated that TS positively influenced both GLM and WTC. Among the three dimensions of TS, emotional support exerted the strongest effects on both GLM and WTC. Moreover, GLM partially mediated the relationship between TS and WTC, indicating that TS enhances students’ WTC by fostering GLM. These findings highlight the importance of supportive teaching practices and fostering language mindsets to improve language learners’ active communication. Implications for teaching, study limitations, and recommendations for future research are also discussed.