AI-Mediated Second Language Teaching and Learning in Secondary Schools: A Multifactorial Analysis of Opportunities, Challenges, and Strategic Imperatives

Abstract

The rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into educational systems has profoundly reconfigured the landscape of second language (L2) teaching and learning, presenting secondary school contexts with a distinctive set of opportunities and multifaceted challenges. Despite growing scholarly interest in AI-enhanced language education, research at the secondary school level remains comparatively sparse, with the majority of existing studies concentrated in higher education or decontextualized from the specific developmental, institutional, and pedagogical realities of adolescent learners. This paper addresses that gap by proposing and elaborating a reframed topic: AI-Mediated Second Language Teaching and Learning in Secondary Schools: A Multifactorial Analysis of Opportunities, Challenges, and Strategic Imperatives. Drawing on a comprehensive synthesis of peer-reviewed scholarship published between 2020 and 2025, the paper identifies and critically examines five interacting clusters of factors: (1) learner-internal factors, encompassing adolescent cognitive development, affective variables, motivation, and individual differences in AI literacy; (2) teacher-related factors, including pedagogical readiness, AI competency, professional identity, and technostress; (3) instructional and pedagogical factors, such as the design of AI-enhanced tasks, feedback mechanisms, and the promotion of communicative competence; (4) institutional and policy factors, including curriculum frameworks, resource equity, school-level AI governance, and systemic professional development; and (5) socio-cultural and ethical factors, comprising academic integrity, algorithmic bias, the digital divide, and the cultural embeddedness of language learning. The paper synthesizes these factors into an integrated conceptual model and proposes evidence-based strategies for secondary schools navigating the AI era of L2 education. Implications for curriculum developers, language teachers, school administrators, and policymakers are discussed.