<p>The growing emphasis on positive psychology in second language acquisition research has underscored the critical role of learners’ psychological strengths in mitigating negative emotions during foreign language learning. Nevertheless, the mechanisms by which resilience counteracts affective challenges and facilitates successful outcomes, as well as the functioning of its specific dimensions (i.e., self-regulation, empathy, and social skills), remain underexplored. To address this gap, this study adopted a quantitative design to examine the relationships among resilience, anxiety, and academic achievement among a cohort of 863 Chinese senior high school students learning English as a foreign language. Participants completed a questionnaire assessing psychological and affective variables. The structural equation modelling (SEM) results indicated that: (a) The three dimensions of English learning resilience (i.e., self-regulation, sociability, and empathy) each had a direct negative effect on foreign language anxiety and a direct positive effect on academic achievement; (b) Foreign language anxiety exhibited a direct negative effect on academic achievement. Additionally, the analysis suggested an indirect effect of English learning resilience components on academic achievement through foreign language anxiety. Theoretically, these findings provide empirical evidence for a mediating mechanism through which resilience may influence academic success, highlighting that its benefit may operate not merely by the absence of negative emotions but also through the presence of adaptive strengths. Pedagogically, the results point to the potential value of integrating strategies to foster learners’ self-regulatory capacities and social-emotional competencies, which could help alleviate anxiety and support academic performance.</p>