With the ongoing digital transformation in education, enhancing Artificial Intelligence Generated Content (AIGC) literacy among pre-service foreign language teachers has become essential for adapting to the challenges of the AI-driven era. This study investigates the relationship among Chinese pre-service foreign language teachers’ AIGC literacy beliefs, practices, and emotions. Using an explanatory sequential mixed method, the study employs questionnaire surveys, classroom observations, and in-depth interviews to gain a comprehensive understanding of pre-service foreign language teachers’ AIGC literacy beliefs, practices, and emotions. The questionnaire covers five dimensions related to AIGC literacy, including Beliefs and Ethics, Thinking and Language Competence, Knowledge and Skills, Application, and Emotional Dynamics. Quantitative data from a large sample of pre-service teachers will be analyzed using SPSS, while qualitative data from classroom observations and interviews will be analyzed using Nvivo. The findings reveal how pre-service teachers integrate AIGC into their teaching practices and the emotional dynamics they experience during this process. This study is expected to provide insights into pre-service language teachers’ views on using AI technologies for language education, which helps prepare them for an AI-driven educational environment and enhance the integration of foreign language education with AI technologies, ultimately improving education quality.