EFL Students’ Suggestions to Reduce Technostress in Learning English with Technology: A Qualitative Case Study

Abstract

Technostress is a common phenomenon in education, especially triggered by the recent advancements in information and communication technologies (ICTs). This study aimed to identify effective coping strategies for technostress among English as a foreign language (EFL) learners in the foreign/second language (L2) domain. To uncover these working strategies, 39 Turkish EFL learners at the university level participated in a qualitative case study. They provided their insights on how to reduce technostress while learning English with technology. The qualitative data were analyzed thematically, and the learners’ responses for mitigating technostress in English language learning with technology were grouped into nine main categories. The learners’ suggestions were primarily based on the Internet, applications, technological knowledge, equipment, emotional factors, technology use, help-seeking behavior, artificial intelligence (AI), and awareness. The findings were discussed in light of these categories, and the pedagogical implications for L2 teachers and learners were provided to effectively reduce technostress in the current AI era.