How the Foreign Language Learning Shapes Mindsets: A Study of English Users in China

This chapter explores the sociopolitical influences of foreign language learning (FLL), specifically English, within the Chinese official language field. While FLL has been widely studied in the context of education and personal development, its impact on political life remains underexamined. Based on OLF, this chapter explores the dual roles of foreign language proficiency as both a communication tool and a cognitive influence on political attitudes. Drawing on survey data and path analyses, it examines how English proficiency affects citizens’ political cognition and trust in central and local authorities through different mechanisms. The findings suggest that exposure to and proficiency in English shape political efficacy and trust, but through nonidentical processes. The study also reveals that the impact of English learning on political mindsets is more closely related to quality aspects than value-based considerations. These insights underscore the complex interactions between language, cognition, and political beliefs, demonstrating the significant implications of learning a global language for political attitudes and social integration. Additionally, the evidence on the expression and competition mechanisms of English learning enhances the external validity of OLF as a general theory.