The control-value theory posits that negative achievement emotions would have adverse effects on the key indicators of school outcomes. Studies have confirmed the negative correlation between academic anxiety and academic achievement. However, studies on the possible mediating effects of cognitive strategies between academic anxiety and achievement are lacking. The present study explored the relationship between foreign language (FL) anxiety, elaboration strategies, and FL achievement in a sample of 501 Chinese adolescents (Mage = 13.67, SD = .62). Results of structural equation modelling (SEM) and mediation analyses demonstrated that elaboration strategies mediated the relationship between FL anxiety and achievement after controlling for gender and age. Furthermore, mediation analyses found that FL anxiety had no direct effect on FL achievement, indicating that elaboration strategies fully mediated the relationship between FL anxiety and achievement. Implications, limitations, and directions for further studies are discussed.

Keywords : FL Anxiety, Elaboration Strategies, FL Achievement, Mediation Mechanism, Chinese Adolescents.