Volume 30 Number 2, Special Issue: Emotional CALL Profiling learners’ affective engagement: Emotion AI, intercultural pragmatics, and language learning

Profiling learners’ affective engagement: Emotion AI, intercultural pragmatics, and language learning

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May 29, 2026, 11:04 p.m.
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June 1, 2026, 9:51 p.m.
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June 1, 2026, 9:51 p.m.
access-status:
open.access
bitstream:
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bitstream_txt:
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collection:
Volume 30 Number 2, Special Issue: Emotional CALL
contributor.author:
Godwin-Jones, Robert
contributor.editor:
Godwin-Jones, Robert
date.accessioned:
2026-05-29T23:03:53Z
date.available:
2026-05-29T23:03:53Z
date.issued:
2026-06-01
description.abstract:
Learning another language can be a highly emotional process, typically characterized by numerous frustrations and triumphs, big and small. For most learners, language learning does not follow a linear, predictable path, its zigzag course shaped by motivational (or demotivating) variables such as personal characteristics, teacher/peer relationships, learning materials, and dreams of a future L2 (second language) self. While some aspects of language learning (reading, grammar) are relatively mechanical, others can be stressful and unpredictable, especially conversing in the target language. That experience necessitates not only knowledge of structure and lexis, but also the ability to use the language in ways that are appropriate to the social and cultural context. A new opportunity to practice conversational abilities has arrived through the availability of AI chatbots, with both advantages (responsive, non-judgmental) and drawbacks (emotionally void, culturally biased). This column explores aspects of emotion as they arise in technology use and in particular how automatic emotion recognition and simulated human responsiveness in AI systems interface with language learning and the development of pragmatic and interactional competence. Emotion AI—the algorithmically driven interpretation of users’ affective signals—has been seen as enabling greater personalized learning, adapting to perceived learner cognitive and emotional states. Others warn of emotional manipulation and inappropriate and ineffective user profiling.
endingpage:
35
format.extent:
22 pages
identifier.citation:
Godwin-Jones, R. (2026). Profiling learners’ affective engagement: Emotion AI, intercultural pragmatics, and language learning. Language Learning & Technology, 30(2), 14–35. https://doi.org/10.64152/10125/73679
identifier.doi:
https://doi.org/10.64152/10125/73679
identifier.issn:
1094-3501
identifier.uri:
https://hdl.handle.net/10125/73679
llt.topic:
Emerging Technologies
number:
2
publicationname:
Language Learning & Technology
publisher:
University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center Center for Language & Technology
rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License
rights.uri:
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
site_url:
/item/10125-73679/
startingpage:
14
subject:
emotion AI adaptive learning intercultural competence pragmatics
title:
Profiling learners’ affective engagement: Emotion AI, intercultural pragmatics, and language learning
type:
Column
volume:
30