While positive psychology research has had important implications for the field of second language acquisition, there remains a paramount concern to understand the personal resources that enable learners not only to survive but also to thrive through challenges. Grounded in positive psychology, the present study aimed to investigate the predictive role of Iranian L2 learners’ character strengths as positive personal resources they bring to educational settings in fostering academic buoyancy, L2 grit, and interest in learning English. To achieve this aim through a structural equation modelling (SEM) analysis,, 530 Iranian university students were conveniently selected. Data were analyzed using the statistical package SMART-PLS 3 to test direct and indirect effects among the variables. It was found that character strengths positively and significantly predicted academic buoyancy, yet predicted L2 Grit slightly, and did not predict interest at all. However, character strengths influenced interest positively through a significant mediating pathway: L2 grit.

Character strengths foster academic buoyancy and L2 grit, yet they do not have a direct impact on long-lasting interest in learning a language. This suggests a complex relationship where learners with strong beliefs in their personal resources, high perseverance, dealing with difficulties may not necessarily find their language journey enjoyable.