Individual Differences in Language Education: An International Journal

For a long time, motivation and anxiety, as traits of individual differences (IDs), have been understood as significant factors in learning a second language (L2) successfully. Scholars conceptualized these two traits as learners’ internal traits. In this article, we, as the authors, use sociocultural theory (SCT) to revisit these traits and reconceptualize them. Therefore, we argue that these traits are not merely unchanged qualities; instead, they are the outcome of a learner’s engagement in a socially meaningful practice during the L2 learning process. Meanwhile, current research findings show that other factors, such as linguistic aptitude, L1 literacy, and L2 metalinguistic skills, play a part in L2 learning. These factors are not only applicable to a traditional classroom environment, but we believe that with the emergence of AI-mediated learning tools, such as chatbots, adaptive learning platforms, and AI tutors, they can be used as scaffolding techniques for learners’ participation. We further argue that if AI tools are used systematically to meet learners’ needs, they can enhance learning processes, and this can reduce L2 anxiety and increase motivation. A sociocultural perspective, therefore, provides a productive way to understand how motivation and anxiety unfold in AI-mediated language learning, while remaining attentive to the linguistic resources that adult learners bring with them.