The Effectiveness of Using Artificial Intelligence as a Tool to Promote EFL Learners’ Autonomous Learning.

Abstract

The unprecedented technological advancements in the field of Artificial Intelligence have led to its integration into various sectors including language learning. The role of Artificial Intelligence tools in language education and, particularly, in enhancing EFL learners’ autonomy is still vague. Therefore, this research aims to nvestigate the effectiveness of AI tools in fostering autonomous language learning. The current research seeks to answer the following questions: (1) What are the specific features of AI tools that promote autonomous language learning? (2) What are the main advantages and challenges of using AI tools to enhance EFL learners’ autonomy? (3) How can learners use AI tools effectively, taking into account its potential shortcomings like dependency? The data is collected through a questionnaire that was administered online to 52 Master 1 and Master 2 students of didactics of foreign languages at Mila University Centre, and an interview which was conducted with 5 teachers. The results of the study show that the majority of participants believe that using AI tools enhances their autonomous learning by increasing their confidence and reducing their dependency on teachers. The specific features through which AI tools boost learner autonomy are constant availability, elfpaced learning and immediate feedback. The most common challenges EFL learners face when using AI tools to increase their autonomy are lack of reliable resources, difficulty in choosing the right AI tools, lack of guidance on how to effectively use them and over-reliance. Besides, most teachers believe that AI tools contribute to enhancing EFL learners’ autonomy, but they expressed the necessity of guiding students to use AI tools moderately to avoid over-reliance on them.