Exploring the Role of AI‐Mediated L2 Education in Chinese EFL Teachers' Classroom Rapport With Their Students

ABSTRACT In recent years, an increasing body of research has reported the contributions of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to various aspects of second/foreign language (L2) education. However, there is a shortage of evidence on the interplay of AI and teacher‐student classroom rapport. To fill this void, this study used a qualitative design through a semi‐structured interview with a sample of 35 Chinese EFL teachers to examine their perceptions about the role of AI‐mediated L2 instruction in teacher‐student classroom rapport. The results of the thematic analysis showed that the inclusion and integration of AI tools in L2 classes had affected teacher‐student classroom rapport in six areas through ‘making students happier and interested in learning’, ‘granting students agency and autonomy in the classes’, ‘adding vitality and joy to classroom relations’, ‘reducing teacher‐student distance’, ‘establishing an atmosphere of trust in the class’, and ‘making teacher‐student communication borderless and limitless’. Each finding is separately and comprehensively discussed and implications, at theoretical and practical levels, are provided for EFL teachers and teacher educators regarding the impact of AI technologies on L2 classroom rapport and relationships.