Publication Details
Abstract
The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence in language education has created new possibilities for personalized feedback, dialogic practice, adaptive assessment and independent learning. This article examines the cross-cultural effects of AI-supported language learning on student engagement and learner autonomy in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts. The study focuses on two frequently used digital tools, ChatGPT and Duolingo, and compares how learners from different educational traditions respond to AI-mediated instructional support. A mixed-method comparative design was applied, combining pre- and post-intervention language tasks, learner autonomy and engagement questionnaires, classroom observation and semi-structured interviews. The analysis indicates that AI-supported activities can strengthen behavioral, cognitive and emotional engagement, while also encouraging learners to plan, monitor and evaluate their own learning. At the same time, the results show that these effects are not culturally neutral: learners’ readiness for self-directed learning, their perception of teacher authority, access to digital infrastructure and prior experience with educational technologies all shaped the way AI tools were adopted. The article argues that AI should be integrated not as a substitute for teacher mediation, but as a culturally responsive pedagogical resource. The findings contribute to current discussions on AI in higher education and EFL pedagogy by demonstrating that the effectiveness of AI-supported learning depends on the alignment between technological affordances, institutional conditions and local learning cultures.