Integrating digital video composing across three settings in Chinese English classrooms

English language education in China has long been a central focus of national policy, while the exam-oriented approach inadequately addresses the development of speaking proficiency, resulting in limited speaking practice opportunities and contributing to emotional barriers. This study examines how Digital Video (DV) composing projects can facilitate both speaking development and emotional engagement among 38 Chinese beginner English as a foreign language (EFL) learners across three educational settings in China. Through the thematic analysis of students' final videos, writing scripts, and reflection papers, the study found that EFL learners improved their communicative competences engaging in DV projects as they provided authentic learning tasks, integrated multimodal elements, and engaged in iterative processes. Furthermore, EFL learners fostered positive emotional responses and reinforced their long-term commitment to English language acquisition throughout the provided a low-stress, personalized, and interactive learning environment.