Testing associations between global and specific levels of foreign language enjoyment and foreign language boredom: the moderator role of L2 savouring beliefs using bifactor exploratory structural equation modelling

The current research aimed to revisit the association of foreign language enjoyment (FLE) and foreign language boredom (FLB) by incorporating global and specific levels of the two constructs, relying on the moderating impact of L2 savouring beliefs (L2SB). To improve the precision and accuracy of these evaluations, we adopted innovative analytic techniques that specifically accommodate the simultaneous global-specific nature of the FLE, FLB and L2SB in a sample of 388 English as foreign language (EFL) learners. Findings from exploratory structural equation modelling (ESEM) confirmed the bifactor ESEM solutions for FLE. Moreover, the analyses revealed that (1) global levels of FLB were significantly and negatively predicted by global levels of FLE as well as by their specific levels of personal FLE and teacher FLE; (2) specific levels of personal FLE predicted lower levels of global FLB and specific factors of FLB: lack of challenge and satisfaction (LCS) and disengagement, monotony and repetitiveness (DMR); (3) specific levels of social enjoyment predicted lower levels of global FLB; (4) specific levels of teacher appreciation predicted lower levels of global FLB and the specific facet of DMR. Moderation analysis supported the role of significant interactions between the global and specific elements of FLE and L2SB.