# Digital Natives’ Intentions Toward Informal Digital English Learning: The Roles of Desire, Engagement, and Online Learning Self-Efficacy

## TL;DR

This study explores how digital natives' emotions and self-efficacy influence their intentions to learn English informally through digital platforms.

## Contribution

The study identifies desire, engagement, and online learning self-efficacy as key mediators linking digital nativity to informal English learning intentions.

## Key findings

- Digital nativity directly influences learners' intentions for informal digital English learning.
- Desire, engagement, and online learning self-efficacy significantly mediate the relationship between digital nativity and learning intention.
- Affective and motivational factors are central to understanding digital natives' learning behavior.

## Abstract

Against the backdrop of rapid technological development, informal English learning has become increasingly prominent in language education, particularly among digital natives. However, limited research has examined how digital nativity influences learners’ emotions and their intentions to engage in such learning. This study investigates the relationships among digital nativity, desire, engagement, online learning self-efficacy (OLSE), and learners’ intentions toward informal digital English learning (IDLE). Data were collected from 1458 English learners and analyzed using a structural modeling approach. The results show that desire, engagement, and online learning self-efficacy play significant mediating roles in the relationship between digital nativity and learning intention, while digital nativity also exerts a direct effect on intention. These findings highlight the central role of affective and motivational factors in shaping digital natives’ learning behavior and provide empirical support for the educational value of informal digital English learning in contemporary digital environments.