Emotional Intelligence, Foreign Language Enjoyment, and AI-Assisted Pedagogy: Integrating Positive Psychology for Resilient and Sustainable Language Learning

This study explores the interplay among emotional intelligence (EI), foreign language learning enjoyment (FLE), learning anxiety, classroom atmosphere, and artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted intervention in shaping the English learning outcomes of undergraduate students. A mixed-methods design was adopted, and longitudinal structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to analyze the data from three rounds of surveys involving 426 non-English major undergraduates. The results indicate that FLE is the most significant positive predictor of learning engagement and academic achievement, followed by EI, while anxiety exerts a significant negative effect. Classroom atmosphere plays a mediating and moderating role in this process, enhancing FLE and buffering the negative impact of anxiety to some extent. Group analysis reveals that first-generation college students have lower EI levels and higher anxiety, but they benefit more from cooperative learning. Additionally, the AI-assisted platform significantly improves students' academic performance and emotional resilience by providing adaptive feedback and personalized emotional regulation strategies. Theoretically, the study highlights the importance of integrating positive psychology with the second language motivational self-system, suggesting that language learning should be regarded as an affective-cognitive complex system rather than a purely cognitive process. From a practical perspective, the study emphasizes the significance of emotion-responsive teaching, targeted support for first-generation college students, and the necessity of a blended teaching model that combines humanistic care with AI adaptability. The research offers innovative insights into the dynamics of emotions, teaching intervention, and the sustainable development of language learning in higher education.