From shy to fly: Facilitating EFL learners’ willingness to communicate with an AI chatbot and an intelligent tutoring system

Willingness to communicate (WTC) has been identified as a crucial factor in improving EFL learners' speaking. However, enhancing WTC often remains a major challenge. The recent emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) has been heralded for its transformative potential, yet there is a lack of empirical evidence regarding how this development influences WTC. To address this, our pioneering study investigates the impact of two major AI tools on EFL learners from China, one involving a chatbot and the other an intelligent tutoring system (ITS). 82 first-year undergraduates participated in the study and were assigned to two groups: the AI chatbot group and the ITS group. Pre- and post-session WTC questionnaires, reflection journals and a teacher interview were conducted to collect data. Results revealed significant disparities in WTC changes among the groups. Specifically, the chatbot group displayed significant improvements, while the WTC of the ITS group surprisingly declined. The study delves into the reasons behind these contrasting performances. It concludes by proposing practical implications based on the findings.