Generative AI Mediation in EFL Oral and Written Production: Colombian Student and Teacher Perception
TL;DR
How students and teachers in a Colombian university language program perceived GenAI-supported production was explored and four patterns emerged: GenAI as a rehearsal and revision partner; tension between polished output and language ownership; teacher mediation shifting toward critical language awareness; and the need for explicit ethical and assessment guidance.
Abstract
Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is increasingly used to support EFL writing and speaking, yet research has focused more heavily on written products than on the combined processes of oral and written production, authorship, and teacher mediation. This qualitative study explored how students and teachers in a Colombian university language program perceived GenAI-supported production. Participants were seven students who completed an open-ended semi-structured questionnaire and five teachers who participated in semi-structured interviews. Data were examined through iterative thematic coding, analytic memoing, and comparison across participant groups. Four patterns emerged: GenAI as a rehearsal and revision partner; tension between polished output and language ownership; teacher mediation shifting toward critical language awareness; and the need for explicit ethical and assessment guidance. The study highlights that GenAI is pedagogically valuable when transparent, process-oriented, and dialogic routines preserve learner agency, human feedback, and responsible authorship.