How implementing an AI chatbot impacts Korean as a foreign language learners’ willingness to communicate in Korean

This study examined the influence of artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on the willingness to communicate (WTC) of Korean as a foreign language learners. In total, 65 students participated in a semester-long study. Classes were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 20) or a control group (n = 45). As part of their language learning, the experimental group engaged in communicative activities with an AI chatbot eight times in class, while the control group engaged in conventional communicative activities. Data collection involved administering the WTC questionnaire. Additionally, the experimental group voluntarily participated in semi-structured interviews. An independent sample t-test revealed no statistically significant difference in WTC levels between the two groups at the beginning of the semester (t(63) = −0.016, p = .987). However, the ANCOVA conducted after eight intervention sessions demonstrated significant improvements in WTC, reduced anxiety levels, and enhanced communication confidence among students in the experimental group (F(1, 62) = 393.740, p = .000). Analyses of the interviews revealed that students experienced decreased anxiety, enhancing their WTC in Korean. These findings suggested that chatbot-mediated interactions created a learner-friendly learning environment wherein learners displayed higher-level engagement and, consequently, an enhanced WTC in Korean.