The Effect of Foreign Language Perceptual Curiosity on Pragmatic Production Among Chinese EFL Junior and Senior Adolescent Students: A Moderated Mediation Model of Growth Language Mindset and Enjoyment

Pragmatic production requires the integration of pragmatic knowledge and socio-affective resources, yet the psychological mechanisms underlying productive pragmatic competence among adolescent EFL learners remain insufficiently explored. This study investigates how foreign language perceptual curiosity (FLPC) is associated with the pragmatic production among Chinese junior and senior secondary EFL students, focusing on the mediating role of foreign language enjoyment (FLE) and the moderating role of growth language mindset (GLM). Data were collected from 381 Chinese adolescent students through questionnaires and a discourse completion task. Structural equation modeling and moderated mediation analyses were conducted. Results showed that FLPC did not directly predict pragmatic production in either junior or senior groups. Instead, a statistical mediation pattern involving FLE was observed between FLPC and pragmatic production across both groups. Furthermore, GLM significantly moderated the relationship between FLPC and FLE among senior students, with the positive association being stronger at higher levels of GLM; however, this moderating effect was not observed among junior secondary students. These findings extend understanding of the affective and cognitive mechanisms underlying L2 pragmatic production by identifying an indirect association between situational curiosity and productive pragmatic performance through positive emotional engagement and a group-specific pattern in the role of growth-oriented learning beliefs.