Development of an Activity-Based AI Implementation Model for Undergraduate English Language Learning in China: A Preliminary Investigation Based on EFL Learners’ Perspectives

Abstract

In the digital transformation wave of global higher education, artificial intelligence (AI) has become an indispensable auxiliary tool for English language learning, especially for non-English major undergraduates in China who take college English as a compulsory public course. However, the current application of AI in English language learning is mostly limited to single-function tool use, lacking systematic activity-based design that conforms to the laws of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) acquisition and the actual learning needs of Chinese undergraduates. This study, as a preliminary research of Phase 1 in Chapter 4 of a doctoral thesis with the title Development of an Activity-Based AI Implementation Model for undergraduate English Language Learning in China, focuses on the perspective of English language learning, and aims to explore the current situation of AI application in undergraduates’ English learning, their attitudes and demands for activity-based AI-assisted learning, so as to lay an empirical foundation for the subsequent model design. A questionnaire survey was conducted among 387 non-English major undergraduates from 4 universities in eastern and central China, and descriptive statistical analysis was carried out on the valid data. The results show that 89.4% of the respondents have used AI tools for English learning, mainly focusing on writing correction and oral pronunciation practice, but they are generally dissatisfied with the lack of systematic activity design of existing AI tools. Meanwhile, undergraduates have a positive attitude towards activity-based AI-assisted English learning, and put forward clear demands for personalized, scenario-based and interactive learning activities. This study enriches the empirical research on the integration of AI and activity-based learning in EFL, provides a reference for the construction of a targeted AI implementation model for Chinese undergraduate English language learning, and also offers practical implications for college English teaching reform under the background of educational digitalization. This paper strictly abides by the research progress, only reports the preliminary questionnaire results, and does not involve the model design and validation which will be carried out in the subsequent research stages.