Enjoyment and boredom in GenAI-mediated informal L2 speaking practices: The impact of gender, L2 proficiency, personal innovativeness, and GenAI competence

The use of conversational GenAI tools for informal second language (L2) speaking practice has become increasingly popular, offering learners immersive interaction experiences. Enjoyment and boredom are key emotions influencing L2 performance and are closely tied to individual differences. This study examines how two traditional individual factors—gender and L2 proficiency—and two GenAI-related factors—personal innovativeness and GenAI competence—affect L2 learners’ enjoyment and boredom in GenAI-mediated informal speaking practices. A survey was conducted with 308 L2 majors from 18 Chinese universities who used conversational GenAI tools. The analysis, based on Partial Least Squares-SEM, revealed that male learners experienced higher levels of boredom, although gender did not affect enjoyment. Contrary to prior studies, L2 proficiency was found to have no impact on either enjoyment or boredom. Personal innovativeness positively predicted enjoyment and negatively predicted boredom, while GenAI competence only predicted enjoyment. These findings provide valuable pedagogical insights for L2 learners and teachers.