Unearthing the potentials and challenges of technology-assisted language learning (TALL) in L2 contexts: Chinese EFL teachers’ voices disclosed

Several studies have been done on technology-assisted language learning (TALL) in English as a foreign language (EFL) context. However, there is a dearth of evidence on the potentials and challenges of TALL in China, as a large community of English users. To address the gap, this qualitative study explored the perceptions of 36 Chinese EFL teachers using a semi-structured interview. The results of thematic analysis showed a range of potentials and challenges for TALL from the perspective of EFL teachers. Particularly, it was found that TALL is beneficial for ‘personalized L2 learning’, ‘immediate feedback provision’, ‘enriching learning content and materials’, ‘enhancing learning efficacy’, ‘adding spirit and joy to L2 learning’, and ‘fostering autonomous learning’. Regarding the challenges, the findings indicated that TALL requires ‘technological literacy’, ‘teacher training’, ‘teacher role shift’, ‘technical and financial support’, and ‘privacy and security considerations’. The findings are discussed and practical implications are offered to EFL teachers, educational policymakers, and administrators to facilitate the use of TALL in language education by addressing the challenges and augmenting the potentials.