Exploring AI integration in Japanese EFL classrooms: Insights and challenges

This study addresses a significant gap in generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) research by examining Japanese tertiary students’ perceptions of AI-enhanced English language acquisition, diverging from the Western-centric literature predominant in the field. Our longitudinal mixed-methods inquiry (N = 30) integrated multiple AI platforms (ChatGPT, DreamStudio AI, Suno AI, and Luma AI) within Vygotskian socio-cultural and Intelligence Augmentation (IA) theoretical frameworks. Thematic analysis revealed robust empirical evidence of positive engagement and instructor-AI symbiosis. The findings elucidate culturally situated responses within an educational context characterized by hierarchical pedagogical traditions. Participants appreciated AI’s role in reducing anxiety and enhancing creativity but preferred human instruction in areas requiring affective intelligence. This research contributes non-Western empirical evidence to transhuman discourse, advancing theoretical understandings of culturally responsive AI technological integration in language education pedagogy.