Artificial Intelligence on Foreign Language Learning Strategies and Self-Regulated Learning: A Qualitative Systematic Review

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Humanities, Velayat University, Iranshahr, Iran.

2 Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Persian literature and Foreign languages Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran

3 Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Persian literature and Foreign languages Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

This qualitative systematic review is a follow-up to the transformative role of AI in the acquisition of foreign languages, focusing on LLS and SRL. It aims to map how AI-mediated tools reshape strategy use across cognitive, metacognitive, and social dimensions, and to identify patterns of learner agency in different EFL/L2 contexts. Using the PRISMA criteria for inclusion and exclusion, 28 studies (from 2023 to 2025) have been synthesized. A qualitative thematic synthesis was conducted to align reported findings with established LLS taxonomies and Zimmerman's cyclical SRL phases, enabling comparison across diverse tools and study designs. It has looked at how GenAI, interactive chatbots, and adaptive learning systems contribute to linguistic competence, such as writing, speaking, and listening skills, and strategic behaviors. The review found that AI significantly enhances metacognitive awareness and autonomy through real-time feedback and personalized pathways. Across studies, gains were most consistent for accuracy-oriented tasks and revision processes, while higher-order discourse quality showed more mixed improvement and depended on learners’ critical engagement with AI feedback. However, the synthesis has identified a crucial "AI Paradox" when technology fosters independence while simultaneously risking dependency. The review concludes that the effectiveness of AI stands upon teacher scaffolding and the development of critical AI literacy among learners.

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Main Subjects

Technology Assisted Language Education
Volume 3, Issue 4
December 2025
Pages 25-41

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