“Teaching is basically feeling”: Unpacking EFL Teachers’ perceived emotions and regulatory strategies in AI-Powered L2 speaking and writing skills instruction

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) has affected many aspects of second language education. • Teachers’ emotionality has gained less attention in light of AI-based education. • AI-mediated speaking and writing instruction entails emotionality among teachers. • The study revealed a set of positive and negative AI-induced emotions in teachers. • Several up-regulating and down-regulating strategies were used to manage emotions. The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies into various aspects of second/foreign language (L2) education is recently gaining an unprecedented attention. However, teacher emotionality in light of using AI tools for teaching specific language skills has remained unaddressed, so far. To fill this void, the present qualitative study aimed to unveil English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers’ perceived AI-induced emotions and associated regulatory strategies used during their L2 speaking and writing instruction. A cohort of 21 Iranian EFL teachers were non-randomly picked up to attend a semi-structured interview and complete a written narrative frame. The results of thematic analysis through MAXQDA software divulged that the participants frequently experienced seven positive emotions including ‘excitement’, ‘confidence’, ‘joy’, ‘pride’, ‘satisfaction’, ‘passion’, and ‘engagement’. On the negative side, ‘anxiety’, ‘worry’, ‘stress’, ‘apprehension’, and ‘frustration’ were repeatedly induced by AI tools in L2 speaking and writing classes. Moreover, it was found that four ‘up-regulating’ and five ‘down-regulating’ strategies, either antecedent-focused or response-focused had been commonly employed by the teachers to manage their positive and negative AI-induced emotions. A discussion of the findings and practical implications for considering teacher emotionality when integrating AI technologies into L2 productive skills is provided.