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Vicky Wei-Chi Pan, Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages, TaiwanAbstract
This longitudinal mixed-methods study investigated how AI-integrated Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) supported speaking development, affective change, and learner engagement among low-proficiency English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners in a technology-enhanced learning environment. Fourteen adult learners (CEFR A1–A2) in a continuing education context participated in a two-semester intervention incorporating AI tools for speaking practice, feedback, pronunciation support, and task-based rehearsal. Given the small sample size and non-normal data distribution, non-parametric analyses were conducted. A Friedman test revealed a statistically significant difference in speaking performance across four time points, χ²(3, N = 14) = 19.57, p < .001, with a moderate-to-large effect size (Kendall’s W = .47). Post-hoc Wilcoxon signed-rank tests indicated significant within-semester improvements in both Semester 1 (Z = −2.51, p = .012, r = .67) and Semester 2 (Z = −2.64, p = .008, r = .71). In Semester 1, speaking-related anxiety significantly decreased (Z = −3.18, p = .001, r = .85), while confidence increased significantly (Z = −2.94, p = .003, r = .79), both with large effect sizes. In contrast, motivation showed small-to-moderate positive changes in Semester 2, although these did not reach statistical significance. Qualitative reflections further suggested that AI-integrated rehearsal and iterative speaking practice reduced anxiety, enhanced learner confidence, and increased engagement in classroom activities. These findings suggest that AI-integrated TBLT can create technology-enhanced learning environments that support longitudinal speaking development, affective regulation, and sustained learner engagement among low-proficiency EFL learners.
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Conference: PCE2026Stream: Foreign Languages Education & Applied Linguistics (including ESL/TESL/TEFL)
This paper is part of the PCE2026 Conference Proceedings (View)
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To cite this article:
Pan V. (2026) AI-Integrated Task-Based Language Teaching for Low-Proficiency EFL Learners: A Longitudinal Mixed-Methods Study ISSN: 2758-0962 The Paris Conference on Education 2026: Official Conference Proceedings (pp. 717-737) https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2758-0962.2026.55
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2758-0962.2026.55
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