Digital Technology and Artificial Intelligence in Korean Language Learning: A Survey of Undergraduate Students at TNU – University of Sciences

Amid the digital transformation of education, digital technology and artificial intelligence (AI) are being increasingly applied in foreign language learning. This study examines the use of digital technology and AI in Korean language learning among students at TNU - University of Sciences. Data were collected from 403 students through a questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results show that 84.4% of students considered digital technology and AI to be necessary or very necessary for learning Korean, while 64.27% reported that these tools had a positive impact on their learning. Students engaged with a diverse range of tools - including online dictionaries, digital learning platforms, language-skill training applications, machine translation tools, and AI chatbots - to support reference, practice, and self-directed learning. Alongside benefits such as broader access to learning resources, greater learner autonomy, and increased motivation, students continued to face several difficulties related to overreliance on translation tools, limitations in verifying information, insufficient skills in leveraging AI, and risks to academic integrity. On this basis, the study puts forward a set of implications for instructors, students, and training institutions aimed at enhancing the use of digital technology and AI in Korean language teaching and learning at the tertiary level.

Korean studies; digital technology; Korean language; artificial intelligence; University of Sciences

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