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TRUVACE RECORD VERSION
record: TRV-2026-2820
version: 1
kind: certified
reason: Certified into the record
timestamp: 2026-11-12T17:29:17.910678Z
status: published
lens: g_space
sector: education
headline: The cognitive-affective impact of generative AI on EFL/ESL learning: A meta-analysis
dek: Since ChatGPT’s public release in November 2022, generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) has rapidly transformed English as a Foreign/Second Language (EFL/ESL) education, yet its precise impact on learning outcomes remains subject to debate. This systematic review and meta-analysis synthesizes evidence from 33 pooled empirical studies and 6 narrative-synthesis studies examining GenAI’s effects on language learning outcomes from November 2022 to March 2026. Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, we searched multipl…
gain_title: A meta-analysis of 33 pooled studies found generative AI use in English as a foreign or second language learning was linked to a large overall effect (Hedges' g = 1.253), with language performance at g = 1.197.
problem_title: (none)
trace_subject: (none)
gain_reading: A meta-analysis of 33 pooled studies found generative AI use in English as a foreign or second language learning was linked to a large overall effect (Hedges' g = 1.253), with language performance at g = 1.197.
gain_evidence: Results revealed a large overall effect (Hedges’ g = 1.253, 95% CI [0.954, 1.542], I² = 94.4%) | Language performance outcomes showed strong effects (g = 1.197)
problem_reading: (none)
problem_evidence: (none)
quick_read: A systematic review and meta-analysis pooled 33 empirical studies, plus 6 studies summarised narratively, on how generative AI affects English as a foreign or second language learning. Covering work from November 2022 to March 2026, it found a large overall effect (Hedges' g = 1.253, 95% CI 0.954 to 1.542).

Language performance outcomes showed g = 1.197, and affective outcomes such as attitudes and feelings about learning showed g = 1.3347. Self-regulation outcomes had a larger estimate of g = 1.400, but it was not statistically significant (p = .187).

Results varied widely between studies, with heterogeneity (I²) between 88.4% and 99.1% across outcome domains. Research design and intervention duration were significant moderators, and experimental designs produced the strongest effects. Evidence certainty was rated moderate under GRADE.
limitation: The literature is overwhelmingly concentrated at the tertiary level (87.9%), and heterogeneity across studies was very high (I² up to 99.1%), with the self-regulation estimate not significant.
tag: Evidence-backed gain
key_points: The review followed PRISMA 2020 guidelines and searched multiple databases for studies published from November 2022 to March 2026. | It pooled 33 empirical studies and treated 6 more through narrative synthesis. | Overall effect: Hedges' g = 1.253 (95% CI 0.954 to 1.542), with I² = 94.4%. | Language performance g = 1.197 (I² = 88.4%); affective outcomes g = 1.3347 (I² = 98.3%). | Self-regulation estimate g = 1.400 was large but not significant (p = .187, I² = 99.1%). | Experimental designs produced the strongest effects, and research design and intervention duration were significant moderators. | 87.9% of the literature is at the tertiary level; a tertiary-only sensitivity analysis gave consistent pooled estimates. | Egger's test found no evidence of publication bias in the corrected dataset (p = .49).
rundown: The authors applied a pre-specified effect-size verification rule to screen for reporting anomalies, then calculated random-effects models for three outcome domains: language performance, affective outcomes and self-regulation. The review covers evidence since ChatGPT's public release in November 2022.

The pooled effects were large, but the studies differed widely. Heterogeneity reached 94.4% overall and 99.1% for self-regulation, so the average figures hide wide variation between studies and settings.

The authors say the findings support generative AI's effectiveness in EFL/ESL learning, while stressing implementation design, the context-sensitivity of affective outcomes and the need for sustained metacognitive scaffolding to promote self-regulation. Evidence certainty was rated moderate using GRADE criteria.
sources:
- peer_reviewed | Language Learning & Technology | https://doi.org/10.64152/10125/73714 | 2026-01-01
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