The Role of Digital Literacy in the Educational Integration of Social Media and AI Tools for English Learning among Chinese Undergraduates

Abstract Digital technologies have become an integral part of language learning. However, access to social media and artificial intelligence (AI) tools does not necessarily result in meaningful educational benefits. This study examined whether digital literacy helps explain how English-learning-related social media and AI-tool use are associated with meaningful English learning among Chinese undergraduates. Two complementary dimensions of meaningful learning were measured: language-learning strategies (how learners regulate and manage learning) and English-learning motivation (the direction and persistence of effort). The primary analytical dataset comprised N = 600 undergraduates and responses to 64 substantive questionnaire items. Cronbach's alphas for all five scales were good ( α = .934-.967). The use of social media was highly correlated with learning strategies ( r = .598, p < .001), and the use of AI tools was correlated with motivation ( r = .570, p < .001), which were both statistically significant after adjustment for gender, academic year, major, self-rated English proficiency, and prior digital/AI training. The use of social media and the use of AI tools had statistically significant indirect associations with motivation. However, none of the hypothesised moderation effects were significant, suggesting that digital literacy did not consistently enhance the technology-to-strategy relationships. The high-digital-literacy students also reported significantly higher strategy use and motivation than did the low-digital-literacy students. The findings support a capability-led approach to technology-enhanced English learning, suggesting that digital literacy primarily strengthens learners' strategic and motivational use of digital tools rather than acting as a universal moderator of the relationship between technology use and learning strategies.