From availability to presence: Emotional attachment to AI language tutors among Vietnamese EFL learners

AI language tutors have expanded learners’ access to support beyond conventional instructional settings. Although research has largely examined the pedagogical benefits of AI-assisted language learning, less is known about learners’ emotional relationships with these tools. This qualitative exploratory study investigated how Vietnamese EFL learners experienced emotional attachment to AI language tutors and the interactional experiences contributing to its development. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 university students with extensive experience using AI for English learning, and the data were analyzed thematically. Findings showed that attachment was experienced less as affection toward AI itself than as a perception of AI as a meaningful presence characterized by perceived understanding and emotional reassurance. Attachment developed gradually through repeated interaction, fostering familiarity, psychological safety, and emotional dependability. Participants recognized AI as non-human, suggesting that attachment emerged from meaningful interactional experiences rather than anthropomorphic beliefs. The study offers a process-oriented account of learner-AI relationships in language education.