Work

Thriving as bilinguals: The impact of engagement, foreign language anxiety, and teacher support on study success

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: This quantitative study explored study engagement, language anxiety, and teacher support among emergent bilingual Swedish- and Finnish-speaking students in a content-based instruction (CBI) setting. Survey data showed Finnish-speaking students reported significantly higher language anxiety but also greater individual and social engagement, possibly due to studying in a less proficient language. They also perceived higher teacher support, suggesting effective tailored instruction. For Swedish-speaking students, social engagement strongly predicted study success. The findings reveal important differences between the groups and underscore the need for differentiated pedagogical approaches in CBI to support diverse bilingual learners more effectively.

Source: Bilingual Research Journal

DOI: 10.1080/15235882.2026.2725602

Authors: Åsa Mickwitz, Heini Lehtonen, Laszlo Vincze, Auli Toom

Institution: University of Helsinki

Language: English

Topic: Second Language Learning and Teaching

Subfield: Literature and Literary Theory

Field: Arts and Humanities

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Quality education

Open Access status: hybrid

Funder: Svenska Kulturfonden