Sam Junwei Liao

University of Auckland, New Zealand

Fan Fang

Shantou University, China

Xiao Cao

Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, China

Wenjun Wang

Cleveland State University, USA

Abstract

This study investigates how a first-year undergraduate student (Emma) in a Chinese English-medium instruction (EMI) university invests in Informal Digital Learning of English (IDLE) and EMI academic subjects learning outside classrooms through digital learning resources, including AI (artificial intelligence) tools. Drawing on Darvin and Norton’s (2015) Model of Investment, this study examines the interplay between the EMI context and the student’s ideologies, identity, and capital in shaping her learning practices through a semi-structured interview. Findings indicate that Emma’s positive attitudes towards English and technology, identity as a long-term yet strategically-motivated English learner, and economic, social, and cultural capital shape her investment in using digital resources for learning L2 (IDLE) and EMI subjects. These tools help to enhance her language proficiency and academic performance, though challenges such as academic integrity concerns and spatial constraints for speaking practice emerge. The study highlights IDLE’s transformative potential in EMI settings, offering practical implications for fostering learner autonomy through digital technologies and emphasizing the need for institutional support and ethical guidelines in AI use.

Keywords

Learner investment, Informal Digital Learning of English (IDLE), English-medium Instruction (EMI), ideologies, identity, capital, AI-mediated IDLE