Non-EFL World Language Teachers’ Perceptions and Experiences with Generative AI Tools

Abstract

This exploratory quantitative research study explored the perceptions and experiences of non-English as a Foreign Language (non-EFL) world language teachers who were members of online communities of practice regarding their use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools in their teaching practices. Many research studies began to explore the impact of GenAI tools in various educational settings, and some studies even investigated the perceptions of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers, but research studies exploring the perceptions of non-EFL world language teachers regarding the use of GenAI tools inside and outside of the classroom remain limited. This study addressed this gap by surveying non-EFL world language teachers who participated in online communities of practice (CoPs), which served as recruitment points to reach participants rather than objects of analysis for this research. This study was grounded in the Six Stages of Technology Integration, the Diffusion of Innovations, and the Technology Acceptance (TAM) frameworks, and it aimed to examine teachers’ attitudes, experiences with GenAI tools, and their usage patterns across different world language contexts. The study employed a survey questionnaire adapted from Kaplan-Rakowski et al. (2023) to collect data from teachers of French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin, Russian, and Spanish who are active members of online communities of practice on Facebook, Reddit, and LinkedIn. The findings of this study may guide the development of professional development programs and resources designed specifically for non-EFL world language teachers. Furthermore, this research can contribute to the broader discussion on the impact of GenAI tools in education and generate additional research on this topic.