AI as a framework for equitable participation in cooperative learning environments

Abstract

This article analyzes the teaching of English as a foreign language (EFL) under a humanistic and integrative paradigm. One of its objectives is to highlight that pedagogical success depends on affective variables and not only cognitive ones. Based on Krashen's (1982) affective filter theory, the authors argue that linguistic anxiety and fear of making mistakes in the traditional classroom block the acquisition of oral skills, inevitably harming other linguistic abilities. Faced with this challenge, conversational artificial intelligence (AI) is proposed as a disruptive tool that offers a Safe Zone for practice. This safe and judgmentfree environment reduces emotional stress, strengthening self-confidence as a prerequisite for social interaction. The text emphasizes that AI does not replace the teacher, but rather acts as a technopedagogical mediator, a kind of enriching, non-limiting bridge. The teacher's role evolves toward a more emotionally responsible and protective function, integrating technology and human contact to create a hybrid, inclusive, and emotionally sustainable environment that guarantees genuine communicative fluency and efficient, relaxed oral learning.