This study examined 510 Chinese students' emotional intelligence (EI) and English classroom learning anxiety at three universities in Hangzhou, People's Republic of China. Results obtained from the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire–Short Form (TEIQue–SF) and the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) showed the following results: (a) More than half of the Chinese college students possessed a middle to high level of EI and at least one third experienced language anxiety in English class; (b) Moderate to relatively strong associations were found among students' EI, foreign language anxiety (FLA), English achievement, and self‐rated English proficiency; (c) FLA had a significant and partial mediating effect on EI in predicting students' English achievement; and (d) FLA also significantly and partially mediated the relationship between EI and self‐rated English proficiency. Results and implications are discussed in the context of the importance of emotional factors affecting the learning of English.

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