Meeting Students’ Needs via Artificial Intelligence Case of Third-Year English Students at Barika University Center

Abstract

Meeting the learners’ needs is the purpose of any English as a Foreign Language (EFL) program. Nowadays, Artificial intelligence (AI) is among the crucial areas of investment that affects all aspects of life. Hence, this research was an effort to shed light on the potential of AI to meet EFL students’ needs in post-COVID-19 pandemic era. In the present study, forty-one (41) third-year students from the English department of Barika University Center were conveniently sampled to be questioned about their needs using a valid and reliable Needs Analysis (NA) questionnaire. Subsequently, deductive thematic analysis for ten (10) purposively sampled literature; using themes parallel with the NA’s results, was conducted. Results show that AI can cover participants’ needs in the following areas: providing practice opportunities, enhancing linguistic skills and components with a variety of applications/software, providing a learner-centered environment that ensures productivity, providing a variety of real-like materials with visual aids, enhancing autonomy and self-regulation, reducing the affective filter and enhancing motivation, self-efficacity, and self-confidence, providing immediate formative feedback, personalizing the teaching/learning experience, guiding and giving recommendations, providing collaborative learning opportunities. Hence, the use and investigation of AI in EFL education is highly recommended.