EFL TEACHERS' AI-MEDIATED INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE PRACTICES IN KAZAKHSTAN

Abstract

This study addresses the underexplored intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) tools and intercultural communicative competence (ICC) in Kazakhstan’s trilingual EFL context. The main focus is on comparing the frequency of traditional and AI-mediated ICC practices among EFL teachers and examining their qualitative perceptions of AI’s role in intercultural learning. Using a convergent mixed-methods design, data were collected from 61 EFL teachers across universities, schools, colleges, and private educational centers in Kazakhstan through a validated 10-item Likert-scale questionnaire and open-ended questions, analyzed via paired-samples t-test and V. Braun and V. Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis. The findingsdemonstrate a statistically significant gap between traditional (M = 3.71) and AI-mediated (M = 3.21) ICC practices, with thematic analysis revealing three themes: AI as a cultural bridge, AI as a source of cultural distortion, and the teacher as critical mediator. This study offers an empirical comparison of traditional and AI-mediated ICC practices in Kazakhstan, providing evidence-based recommendations for integrating AI tools into intercultural language teaching while addressing cultural bias – directly informing Kazakhstan’s trilingual education policy and professional development agendas.