Untangling the Cognitive and Emotional State of EFL Learners in AI-Integrated Language Instruction: A Humanized Pedagogy Perspective

This research aims to analyze the cognitive and affective perceptions of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology-based language learning, particularly humanized pedagogy, among the Iranian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. Based on the Community of Inquiry (CoI) model and Freirean beliefs of dialogue and empowerment, the study examines how students make their way back and forth between technological efficacy and emotional connection. A qualitative research design was applied, where semi-structured interviews and reflective narratives were used. The thematic analysis produced five broad themes, namely (۱) AI as a source of psychological safety and emotional isolation; (۲) teacher mediation as crucial for humanizing use of AI; (۳) learner agency existing along a continuum mediated by critical literacy; (۴) varied types of “safety ecologies” encapsulated in AI, peers, and teachers; and (۵) complementary partnership between humans and AI. Results show that the AI supports cognitive engagement and self-regulation, but only when there are emotional presence and empathy, due to the teachers’ mediating role. The conclusion drawn from the study is that humanization of pedagogy is critical to maintain an equilibrium between automation and affect in order for AI to become a tool for empowerment rather than alienation in EFL landscapes.

کلیدواژه ها:

Humanized Pedagogy ، AI-Integrated Language Learning ، Cognitive Engagement ، Emotional State ، EFL learners