Beyond Linguistic Proficiency: Emotional, Cognitive, and Cultural Pathways of Generative AI in EFL Well‐Being—A Technology‐Humanities‐Culture Synthesis

ABSTRACT Amidst the digital transformation in education, generative AI (GenAI) presents novel solutions to the well‐being challenges faced by English as a foreign language (EFL) learners. However, existing research disproportionately prioritizes linguistic proficiency over holistic well‐being, particularly in non‐Western contexts. This mixed‐methods study employs a “technology‐humanities‐culture” approach, synthesizing Seligman's PERMA model, Oxford's EMPATHICS framework, and critical cultural theory to analyze the dual impact of GenAI on Chinese non‐English majors. Combining qualitative interviews, reflection diaries, behavioral observations, and AI system logs, the study reveals three pathways mediating well‐being: emotional scaffolding (anxiety alleviation versus alienation), cognitive optimization (self‐efficacy gains versus homogenization), and cultural immersion (cross‐cultural engagement versus simplification). The findings are operationalized into the GenAI‐EFL Well‐being Model, advocating adaptive algorithms, localized cultural corpora, and hybrid pedagogies to balance efficiency with humanistic values. By centering well‐being as both means and end, this research advances ethical AI integration in language education, shifting the paradigm from instrumental efficiency to holistic flourishing.