Informal Korean-Language Learning with Generative Artificial Intelligence : A Narrative Inquiry Focused on Learners’ Motivational Transformations

Journal of the International Network for Korean Language and Culture 22-2, 27-64. This study investigates motivational transformations among advanced Korean-language learners engaged in informal learning mediated by generative artificial intelligence (AI). Employing a narrative inquiry approach, it analyzes how learners' self-regulated strategies, identity, and linguistic awareness evolve through sustained interaction with AI. Despite differences in personal goals and usage patterns, all participants showed a common shift from passive, extrinsically motivated learners to autonomous, intrinsically driven language users. Generative AI functioned not merely as a corrective tool, but as a cognitive and affective mediator that enhanced learners’ self-evaluation, expressive capacity, and emotional security. These findings suggest that generative AI can contribute to restructuring learners' motivational systems and identities beyond improving linguistic proficiency. (Seoul National University)