Beyond the Lecture Hall: Access, Usefulness, and Personalization in Algerian AI-Driven EFL Learning

Abstract

This study inquires Algerian pre-service teachers’ attitudes and practices concerning the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in English as Foreign Language (EFL) learning. The study is designed to investigate AI integration, perceived usefulness, personalization traits, and corresponding concerns in an EFL context. Grounded in the theoretical framework of Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), and the personalization theory, an attitudinal questionnaire was distributed to 132 students at the Teachers’ Training School (ENS), Constantine, Algeria. Findings reveal promising awareness towards AI implementation, notably for enhancing critical thinking. Average trust in AI-driven content and restricted approval on AI’s potential to satisfy cultural and learner-specific needs signal the inconsistency in personalization. Minimal access to AI tools and scarce institutional endorsement are also prominently inadequate. Despite ethical gaps and logistic limitations, over one-half of the participants plan to uphold the practice of using and advocating AI for EFL learning purposes. These insights highlight the need for: inclusive policymaking, AI literacy curricula, culturally –sensitive AI models, professional training for educators, and upgraded infrastructure to establish unbiased ethical AI use. The study provides an insight for future empirical extension in AI-driven EFL learning in Algerian higher education as it is in its nascent phase.