Mindsets Matter for Linguistic Minority Students: Growth Mindsets Foster Greater Perceived Proficiency, Especially for Newcomers

• DOI: 10.1111/modl.12669
• Publication Date: 2020-10-27T17:25:44Z
• Authors: NIGEL MANTOU LOU; KIMBERLY A. NOELS
• Keywords: Language proficiency

Abstract Growth language mindsets (i.e., beliefs that ability can be improved) are found to sustain learners’ motivation and resilience in challenging situations. Considering migrants who speakers of languages other than the dominant ones often face daily communications, we examined important but understudied questions ‘how’ ‘when’ growth predict migrants’ experiences, including anxiety, use, perceived English proficiency. In 3 studies, surveyed 2,163 foreign‐born university students Canada indicated as their second language. We positively predicted self‐assessed proficiency, even 4 months after initial assessment mindsets. Answering ‘how,’ with stronger were less anxious, more likely use English, reported higher accounting for baseline Concerning ‘when,’ have significant moderate association proficiency only recently arrived (who lived receiving country 7 years). Although newly anxious about using they resilient when envision new may help a (ESL) thrive intercultural communication succeed development.