Is Informal Digital Learning of English Significantly Correlated with Online Motivation for Learning, Online Foreign Language Enjoyment, and Telecollaborative Foreign Language Anxiety? Evidence from Higher Education

Previous studies have linked Informal Digital Learning of English (IDLE) with affective factors like willingness to communicate, language learning boredom, and self-efficacy. However, the connection between IDLE and Online Motivation for Learning (OML), Online Foreign Language Enjoyment (OFLE), and Telecollaborative Foreign Language Anxiety (TFLA) has not been thoroughly explored within the context of English as a Foreign Language (EFL). This study, thus, investigates the potential relationships between IDLE and OML, OFLE, and TFLA among EFL learners in Iran. A group of 532 university students, comprising 243 males and 321 females, was randomly selected to participate. They completed scales measuring IDLE, OML, OFLE, and TFLA. The results, analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling, revealed significant correlations between IDLE and OML, OFLE, and TFLA. Notably, the EFL learners frequently engaged in IDLE reported higher OML and OFLE, along with lower TFLA. These findings provide new insights and practical implications for different stakeholders in EFL education.