Students’ Perceptions of AI-Supported Learning in Fully Online General English Instruction

This study examined students’ perceptions of AI-supported English learning in fully online general English instruction, focusing on their relationships with engagement/strategy, anxiety in using English, and performance confidence. The data were drawn from a voluntary online post-course survey completed by 51 undergraduate students after they had completed the courses. The survey included items on perceived AI helpfulness, English learning attitudes and confidence, AI-related tool use, and open-ended feedback. Quantitative procedures included descriptive statistics, reliability estimates, exploratory factor analysis, exploratory group comparisons, and regression modeling. The results showed that students commonly used multiple AI-related tools, especially Papago, ChatGPT, and online dictionaries, and generally perceived AI as helpful for English learning. AI was viewed as more helpful for grammar, writing, and vocabulary than for immediate oral performance. The factor results identified three major attitudinal dimensions: engagement/strategy, anxiety in using English, and performance confidence. The regression model showed that engagement/strategy was the strongest positive predictor of performance confidence, whereas perceived AI helpfulness itself was not a significant direct predictor. These findings suggest that the educational value of AI in fully online English instruction lies less in the tool itself than in how learners use it within active and strategic learning processes.