Speaker
Description
This paper investigates first-year students' metacognitive awareness and perceptions of artificial intelligence (AI) tools for learning aviation English at Vietnam Aviation Academy (VAA). As generative AI tools such as ChatGPT become increasingly accessible, understanding how novice learners conceptualize and regulate their AI-assisted learning is critical for effective pedagogical integration. We employed a mixed-methods design combining a quantitative survey (n=80) with Likert-scale and open-ended questions and semi-structured interviews with ten first-year VAA students. Findings reveal that students exhibit moderate metacognitive awareness of AI tool affordances and limitations, use AI primarily for vocabulary support and writing revision, and hold generally positive attitudes tempered by concerns about accuracy and academic integrity. Interview themes highlight tensions between efficiency gains and perceived loss of autonomous learning skills. Results are interpreted against current literature on metacognition, self-regulated learning, and AI in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts. We conclude with pedagogical implications for scaffolding metacognitive AI use in specialized English programs and recommendations for curriculum design that balances AI assistance with the development of higher-order language competencies.
Keywords: metacognition, artificial intelligence, ChatGPT, aviation English, EFL, self-regulated learning, student perceptions
