Empowerment or Divide?: A Critical Reflection on the Plight of Demotivated Higher Vocational College Students in English Learning in the Age of AI

Yanping Liu

doi:10.47297/wspiedWSP2516-250003.20261005

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Empowerment or Divide?: A Critical Reflection on the Plight of Demotivated Higher Vocational College Students in English Learning in the Age of AI

Volume 10, Issue 5

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Empowerment or Divide?: A Critical Reflection on the Plight of Demotivated Higher Vocational College Students in English Learning in the Age of AI
Empowerment or Divide?: A Critical Reflection on the Plight of Demotivated Higher Vocational College Students in English Learning in the Age of AI
Guangdong Institute of Arts and Sciences, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, 524400, China
Vol. 10, Issue 5, Pages: 14-18(2026)
Published：30 May 2026
DOI：10.47297/wspiedWSP2516-250003.20261005
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Liu Yanping.Empowerment or Divide?: A Critical Reflection on the Plight of Demotivated Higher Vocational College Students in English Learning in the Age of AI[J].Journal of International Education and Development,2026,10(05):14-18.
DOI：

Liu Yanping.Empowerment or Divide?: A Critical Reflection on the Plight of Demotivated Higher Vocational College Students in English Learning in the Age of AI[J].Journal of International Education and Development,2026,10(05):14-18. DOI： 10.47297/wspiedWSP2516-250003.20261005.

摘要

Abstract

Artificial intelligence technology is being deeply integrated into English teaching in higher vocational colleges

bringing new opportunities such as personalized learning

immediate feedback

and resource expansion. However

does the integration of AI technology in English teaching benefit all students equally? This paper focuses on higher vocational college students with low learning motivation in English learning. Based on classroom observations and literature analysis

it reveals three major plights faced by this group in AI-assisted English learning: a secondary exclusion caused by technological barriers

the inability of AI's cold feedback to awaken intrinsic motivation

and AI outsourcing under inadequate supervision leading to competency hollowing-out. This paper further analyzes the causes of these plights from the perspectives of students

AI tools

and teachers

and proposes coping measures such as lowering technological thresholds

designing small-step tasks

human-machine collaborative supervision

and selecting incentive-oriented tools. This study aims to draw attention to the issue of "marginalized students" in the process of educational digitalization

promoting a fairer and more humanistic approach to AI-empowered English teaching in higher vocational collages.

关键词

Keywords

references

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