Embrace technology, escape job anxiety? Profiling technology acceptance and its relationships with job anxiety among English majors

Authors

  • Yongliang Wang School of Foreign Studies, North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhengzhou, China https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4672-8481
  • Ziwen Pan School of Foreign Studies, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China (Corresponding author)
  • Özkan Kırmızı Department of English Language and Literature, Karabuk University, Karabuk, Türkiye

Keywords:

Technology Acceptance, Job Anxiety, Latent Profile Analysis, Chinese English Majors, Artificial Intelligence
Agencies: The study is sponsored by Henan Provincial Government’s decision-making research bidding project: “The implementation research of artificial intelligence for the high-quality development of basic education in Henan”.

Abstract

The progressive integration of technology into language-based professions has stoked concerns about job displacement. Nevertheless, empirical research exploring how technology acceptance interacts with job-related anxiety among English major students remains scarce. To bridge this research gap, this mixed-methods study delves into the survey data from 523 Chinese English majors. Utilizing latent profile analysis (LPA), it identifies diverse technology-acceptance profiles, and subsequently executes ANOVA and post-hoc analyses to examine how these profiles are linked to job anxiety. Three distinct profiles surfaced: the low-technology-acceptance profile (11.9%), the moderate-acceptance profile (67.5%), and the high-technology-acceptance profile (20.6%). ANOVA results revealed that the profiles varied significantly in terms of job anxiety: the low- acceptance group reported the most intense anxiety, while the high-acceptance group exhibited the least. The moderate-acceptance group displayed unique challenges, including heightened self-doubt despite maintaining a balanced perspective on technology. The qualitative analysis further illuminated these trends within a broader context. It uncovered the coexistence of an optimistic outlook on technology’s role in skill augmentation and concerns about job security. These research findings emphasize the need for integrating technology literacy into the curriculum and tailoring customised guidance to mitigate anxiety and boost students’ job adaptability. Moreover, this study may equipe educators with actionable strategies to prepare English majors for AI-dominated labour market.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Yongliang Wang, School of Foreign Studies, North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhengzhou, China

Yongliang Wang, Ph.D., associate professor at North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power and postgraduate supervisor at Nanjing Normal University. A Stanford-ranked top 2% global scientist (2024) and Elsevier Highly Cited Chinese Researcher (2022–2023), his research focuses on positive psychology in EFL education, technology-assisted language learning, and semiotics. His work appears in top journals (e.g., Computers in Human Behavior, System).

Ziwen Pan, School of Foreign Studies, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China (Corresponding author)

Ziwen Pan takes his research interest in positive psychology, EFL teaching and learning, second language acquisition, and corpus linguistics. Thus far, he has published over 10 papers, of which 8 are indexed in SSCI journals. He has served as an active reviewer for some prestigious journals, such as Journal of Psycholinguistic Research, Learning and Motivation, Sage Open, Frontiers in Psychology, European Journal of Education etc.

Özkan Kırmızı, Department of English Language and Literature, Karabuk University, Karabuk, Türkiye

Dr. Özkan Kırmızı works as a full professor at English Language and Literature Department of Karabuk University, Türkiye. Dr. Kırmızı’s specific research areas include EFL teacher education, positive psychology, and academic writing. Up to now, he has published around 40 international papers, three of which are SSCI-indexed. He has also edited two books on positive psychology and EFL teacher psychology.

References

Akash, N. R., Dhiksha, J., Chhotray, A. S., Vaasanthi, R. S., Philip, S., Babu, N. C. K., Lokesh, Buallay, A., & Khamis, R. (2024). Mediating effect of digital literacy between attitude towards AI and job insecurity among HR professionals. Springer, 516, 31–44. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-49544-1_3

Al-Sofi, B. B. M. A. (2024). Artificial intelligence-powered tools and academic writing: To use or not to use ChatGPT. Saudi Journal of Language Studies, 4(3), 145–161. https://doi.org/10.1108/SJLS-06-2024-0029

Belle, M. A., Antwi, C. O., Ntim, S. Y., Affum-Osei, E., & Ren, J. (2022). Am I gonna get a job? Graduating students’ psychological capital, coping styles, and employment anxiety. Journal of Career Development, 49(5), 1122–1136. https://doi.org/10.1177/08948453211020124

Benjamin, N., & Dangwal, K. L. (2024). Factors influencing teachers’ readiness to integrate artificial intelligence into their teaching practices. Bharatiya Shiksha Shodh Patrika, 43(1), 221.

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa

Chen, M.-R. A. (2025). Improving English semantic learning outcomes through AI chatbot-based ARCS approach. Interactive Learning Environments, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2025.2454443

Chen, Y., Zhi, Y., & Derakhshan, A. (2025). Integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into the English as a foreign language classroom: Exploring its impact on Chinese English students’ achievement emotions and willingness to communicate (WTC). European Journal of Education. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejed.70157

Cheng, B. H., & McCarthy, J. M. (2018). Understanding the dark and bright sides of anxiety: A theory of workplace anxiety. Journal of Applied Psychology, 103(5), 537–560. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000266

Cheung, F. Y.-L., Wu, A. M. S., & Ching Chi, L. (2019). Effect of job insecurity, anxiety and personal resources on job satisfaction among casino employees in Macau: A moderated mediation analysis. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 28(3), 379–396. https://doi.org/10.1080/19368623.2019.1525332

De Clercq, D., Haq, I. U., & Azeem, M. U. (2018). Self-efficacy to spur job performance: Roles of job-related anxiety and perceived workplace incivility. Management Decision, 56(4), 891–907. https://doi.org/10.1108/MD-03-2017-0187

Derakhshan, A., & Ghiasvand, F. (2024). Is ChatGPT an evil or an angel for second language education and research? A phenomenographic study of research‐active EFL teachers’ perceptions. International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 34(4), 1246–1264. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijal.12561

Derakhshan, A., Solhi, M., Dewaele, J.-M., & Shakki, F. (2025). Modeling the associations between L2 teacher support and EFL learners’ reading motivation: The mediating impact of reading enjoyment, anxiety, and boredom. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, 15(1), 41–72. https://doi.org/10.14746/ssllt.40078

Derakhshan, A., & Taghizadeh, M. S. (2025). Does artificial intelligence (AI) nurture or hinder language learners’ higher-order thinking skills (HOTS)? A phenomenological study on L2 learners’ perspectives and lived experiences. International Journal of Applied Linguistics. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijal.12824

Derakhshan, A., & Zhang, L. J. (2024). Applications of psycho-emotional traits in technology-based language education (TBLE): An introduction to the special issue. The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 33(4), 741–745. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-024-00881-y

Du, Y., & Gao, H. (2022). Determinants affecting teachers’ adoption of AI-based applications in EFL context: An analysis of analytic hierarchy process. Education and Information Technologies, 27(7), 9357–9384. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11001-y

Fousiani, K., Michelakis, G., Minnigh, P. A., & De Jonge, K. M. M. (2024). Competitive organizational climate and artificial intelligence (AI) acceptance: The moderating role of leaders' power construal. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1359164–1359164. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1359164

Hopcan, S., Türkmen, G., & Polat, E. (2024). Exploring the artificial intelligence anxiety and machine learning attitudes of teacher candidates. Education and Information Technologies, 29(6), 7281–7301. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-12086-9

Hornberger, M., Bewersdorff, A., Schiff, D., & Nerdel, C. (2025). A multinational assessment of AI literacy among university students in Germany, the UK, and the US. Computers in Human Behavior: Artificial Humans, 4, 100132. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chbah.2025.100132

Hu, X., Sun, S., Yang, W., & Geying, D. (2023). Artificial intelligence empowering the high-quality development of education: Demands, visions, and paths. Frontiers of Education in China, 18(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.3868/s110-008-023-0001-4

Huang, F., Wang, Y., & Zhang, H. (2024). Modelling generative AI acceptance, perceived teachers’ enthusiasm and self‐efficacy to English as a foreign language learners’ well‐being in the digital era. European Journal of Education, 59(4), e12770. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejed.12770

Kaya, F., Aydin, F., Schepman, A., Rodway, P., Yetişensoy, O., & Demir Kaya, M. (2024). The roles of personality traits, AI anxiety, and demographic factors in attitudes toward artificial intelligence. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 40(2), 497–514. https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2022.2151730

Kim, B.-J., & Kim, M.-J. (2024). How artificial intelligence-induced job insecurity shapes knowledge dynamics: The mitigating role of artificial intelligence self-efficacy. Journal of Innovation & Knowledge, 9(4), 100590. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jik.2024.100590

Kim, J., Oh, J., & Rajaguru, V. (2022). Job-seeking anxiety and job preparation behavior of undergraduate students. Healthcare (Basel), 10(2), 288. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare10020288

Kim, Y.-K. (2020). Anxiety disorders: Rethinking and understanding recent discoveries. Springer Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-32-9705-0

Kruk, M., & Kałużna, A. (2025). Investigating the role of AI tools in enhancing translation skills, emotional experiences, and motivation in L2 learning. European Journal of Education. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejed.12859

Le, H. V., Nguyen, T. A. D., Le, D. H. N., Nguyen, P. U., & Nguyen, T. T. A. (2024). Unveiling critical reading strategies and challenges: A mixed-methods study among English major students in a Vietnamese higher education institution. Cogent Education, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2024.2326732

Liu, X., & Liu, Y. (2025). Developing and validating a scale of artificial intelligence anxiety among Chinese EFL teachers. European Journal of Education, 60(1), e12902. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejed.12902

Methlagl, M., Mairhofer, S., & Michlmayr, F. (2025). Exploring technology acceptance patterns of users of the mixed-reality sport technology Zwift: Antecedents and consequences of technology acceptance. Universal Access in the Information Society, 24(1), 721–732. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10209-024-01094-2

McCarthy, J. M., Truxillo, D. M., Bauer, T. N., Erdogan, B., Shao, Y., Wang, M., Liff, J., & Gardner, C. (2021). Distressed and distracted by COVID-19 during high-stakes virtual interviews: The role of job interview anxiety on performance and reactions. Journal of Applied Psychology, 106(8), 1103–1117. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000943

Moran, N., & Ackerman, D. (2024). “Can AI really help me land a job?” Student reactions to the use of artificial intelligence in career preparation. Journal of Education for Business, 99(2), 103–112. https://doi.org/10.1080/08832323.2023.2275205

Ofosu-Ampong, K. (2024). Beyond the hype: Exploring faculty perceptions and acceptability of AI in teaching practices. Discover Education, 3(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44217-024-00128-4

Pan, Z., Wu, H., & Lalli, G. S. (2025). ‘I always wake up with trepidation’: Examining Chinese foreign language majors’ employment anxiety from an ecological perspective. Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/17501229.2025.2472685

Park, J., & Woo, S. E. (2022). Who likes artificial intelligence? Personality predictors of attitudes toward artificial intelligence. The Journal of Psychology, 156(1), 68–94. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223980.2021.2012109

Qi, S., & Derakhshan, A. (2025). Technology-based collaborative learning: EFL learners’ social regulation and modifications in their academic emotions and academic performance. Education and Information Technologies, 30(7), 8611–8636. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-024-13167-z

Razak, N. (2021). How self-efficacy drives job performance: The role of job anxiety and intrinsic motivation. Jurnal Manajemen, 25(2), 190–205. https://doi.org/10.24912/jm.v25i2.735

Sánchez-Reina, J. R., Theophilou, E., Hernández-Leo, D., & Ognibene, D. (2024). Exploring undergraduates’ attitudes towards ChatGPT. Is AI resistance constraining the acceptance of Chatbot technology? Higher Education Learning Methodologies and Technologies Online, 383–397. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-67351-1_26

Song, C., & Song, Y. (2023). Enhancing academic writing skills and motivation: Assessing the efficacy of ChatGPT in AI-assisted language learning for EFL students. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1260843–1260843. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1260843

Sun, L. (2024). Enhancing intercultural competence of Chinese English majors through AI-enabled Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) in the digital era. Education and Information Technologies. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-024-13143-7

Tokar, D. M., Savickas, M. L., & Kaut, K. P. (2020). A test of the career construction theory model of adaptation in adult workers with Chiari malformation. Journal of Career Assessment, 28(3), 381–401. https://doi.org/10.1177/1069072719867733

Vicsek, L., Bokor, T., & Pataki, G. (2024). Younger generations’ expectations regarding artificial intelligence in the job market: Mapping accounts about the future relationship of automation and work. Journal of Sociology (Melbourne, Vic.), 60(1), 21–38. https://doi.org/10.1177/14407833221089365

Wang, Y., Wu, H., & Wang, Y. (2024). Engagement and willingness to communicate in the L2 classroom: Identifying the latent profiles and their relationships with achievement emotions. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2024.2379534

Wei, L. (2023). Artificial intelligence in language instruction: Impact on English learning achievement, L2 motivation, and self-regulated learning. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1261955–1261955. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1261955

Wu, H., Wang, Y., & Wang, Y. (2024). “To use or not to use?” A mixed-methods study on the determinants of EFL college learners’ behavioral intention to use AI in the distributed learning context. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 25, 158–178. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v25i3.7708

Wu, T.-J., Liang, Y., & Wang, Y. (2024). The buffering role of workplace mindfulness: How job insecurity of human-artificial intelligence collaboration impacts employees’ work–work-life-related outcomes. Journal of Business and Psychology, 39(6), 1395–1411. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-024-09963-6

Xu, T., & Wang, H. (2024). The effectiveness of artificial intelligence on English language learning achievement. System (Linköping), 125, 103428. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2024.103428

Yang, H.-H. (2024). The acceptance of AI tools among design professionals: Exploring the moderating role of job replacement. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 25(3), 326–349. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v25i3.7811

Yilmaz, F. G. K., Yilmaz, R., & Ceylan, M. (2024). Generative artificial intelligence acceptance scale: A validity and reliability study. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 40(24), 8703–8715. https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2023.2288730

Zhang, Y., & Chen, Z. (2006). A psychological education experiment on job-seeking anxiety among college graduates. Psychological Development and Education, (3), 99–102.

Zou, B., Lyu, Q., Han, Y., Li, Z., & Zhang, W. (2023). Exploring students’ acceptance of an artificial intelligence speech evaluation program for EFL speaking practice: An application of the integrated model of technology acceptance. Computer Assisted Language Learning. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2023.2278608

Zhou, C., & Hou, F. (2024). Can AI empower L2 education? Exploring its influence on the behavioural, cognitive and emotional engagement of EFL teachers and language learners. European Journal of Education, 59(4), e12750. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejed.12750

FUNDING INFORMATION:

The study is sponsored by Henan Provincial Government’s decision-making research bidding project: “The implementation research of artificial intelligence for the high-quality development of basic education in Henan”.

Published

2025-09-29

How to Cite

Wang, Y., Pan, Z., & Kırmızı, Özkan. (2025). Embrace technology, escape job anxiety? Profiling technology acceptance and its relationships with job anxiety among English majors. Porta Linguarum An International Journal of Foreign Language Teaching and Learning, (XIII). Retrieved from https://revistaseug.ugr.es/index.php/portalin/article/view/33160

Issue

No. XIII (2025): Special Issue xiii "Integrating Innovative Technologies into Technology-Assisted Language Learning (TALL) Environments: Insights, Applications, and Impacts"

Section

xiii Special Issue "Integrating Innovative Technologies into Technology-Assisted Language Learning (TALL) Environments: Insights, Applications, and Impacts"

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Yongliang Wang, Ziwen Pan, Özkan kırmızı

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.