Analyzing culturally grounded AI outputs in teaching English pragmatics: A qualitative study of HUMAIN Chat

Contextualised pragmatic input is vital for developing pragmatic competence in English as a Foreign Language (EFL), but can often be overlooked in EFL learning materials, particularly those based on cultural context. Recent developments in artificial intelligence (AI) offer new platforms for contextualised pragmatic instruction, however little research has investigated the pragmatics of AI technology generated language output nor how that output is culturally mediated for Arabic EFL learners. The current study examined how one Arabic-first AI system mediates pragmatic knowledge and pragmatic language use. We took a qualitative descriptive approach to analyzing 40 pieces of AI-generated dialogue exchanges and explanation responses across academic, social, and interpersonal contexts. Data were coded using an interlanguage pragmatics informed framework focusing on speech acts, politeness, hedging, cultural mediation, and contextual appropriateness. Results indicate that AI technology models consistent indirectness, mitigation, and politeness across speech acts and pragmatic explanations use Arabic sociocultural concepts related to respect for relationships and hierarchy. Despite a few examples of overly formal language used in informal contexts, our results provide evidence that AI technologies can act as sociocultural mediational tools and have utility in pragmatics instruction for Arabic EFL learners.