Abstract

This qualitative instrumental case study investigates how an English teacher-researcher at a Vietnamese college adapted pedagogical practices in response to student artificial intelligence integration, and how these adjustments influenced the learning processes of both English language majors and non-language majors. Research data were collected over a 12-week semester using a data triangulation framework comprising pre- and post-semester structured student interviews, weekly teacher reflection journals, and classroom document artifacts. The participant cohort consisted of eight students, including three English language majors and five non-language majors from various disciplines, and the instructor acting in a dual teacher-researcher capacity. The findings indicate a double-edged impact: while text-based AI effectively supported writing mechanics and vocabulary acquisition, heavy reliance on automated drafting coincided with persistent latency in spontaneous speaking and reduced communication reflexes. Instructional adaptations emphasizing interactive group tasks and unprompted oral exercises fostered a supportive classroom climate, though oral proficiency gaps remained challenging to resolve completely within one semester. Ultimately, this study redefines the educator's role in the AI era as an active tool curator, activity designer, and metacognitive mentor, contributing localized empirical evidence to the under-researched EFL sector in Vietnam while offering a balanced pedagogical framework for critical digital literacy.

Keywords: Artificial intelligence integration, pedagogical adaptation, English as a foreign language, speaking fluency, critical digital literacy.