Resourcing AI-mediated informal digital learning of English: pathways through L2 shame and foreign language peace of mind

Purpose: Second language (L2) shame has increasingly attracted scholarly attention in L2 learning, yet its role in AI-mediated informal digital learning of English (AI-IDLE) remains underexplored. Drawing on Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, this study investigates the psychological pathway through which L2 grit contributes to learners' engagement in AI-IDLE, with particular attention to the chain-mediating roles of L2 shame and foreign language peace of mind (FLPoM).Design: The study adopted a mixed-methods approach. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to examine the relationships among L2 grit, L2 shame, FLPoM, and AI-IDLE engagement, while qualitative data were used to further illuminate learners' psychological experiences and self-regulatory processes in AI-mediated informal language learning.Findings: The quantitative results showed that L2 grit had a positive direct effect on AI-IDLE engagement. L2 grit was also indirectly associated with AI-IDLE engagement through reduced L2 shame and enhanced FLPoM, supporting a sequential psychological pathway linking learners' personal resources to their engagement. The qualitative findings further suggested that learners experienced this process as a form of holistic self-regulation involving both interaction with the external learning environment and internal psychological regulation.Value: This study extends research on AI-IDLE by identifying a resource-based psychological mechanism through which L2 grit, L2 shame, and FLPoM jointly shape learners' engagement. By integrating negative and positive emotional experiences within a COR framework, it offers a more nuanced account of how learners mobilize and regulate psychological resources in AI-supported informal language learning.