EFL Motivation of College Engineering Students in China in the Era of AI

Based on Gardner’s theory of L2 motivation and Dörnyei’s L2 motivational self-system (L2 MSS model), this study, using the questionnaire survey method, investigates the English learning motivation of 76 freshmen majoring in engineering in China. The findings reveal that: (1) The English learning motivation of engineering students is dominated by instrumental motivation, with academic requirements (72.4%) and career development (68.4%) being the most prominent initial motivations; (2) Learning motivation shows a declining trend over time, with 63.2% of students reporting a decrease in enthusiasm, mainly attributed to the low relevance of course content to their major (average score 3.8/5) and the heavy workload of main courses (average score 4.1/5); (3) The use of AI tools shows the characteristic of “efficiency priority, efficacy in doubt”, with 58% of students using AI to complete English homework weekly, but 64.5% believing that it has limited effect on improving language proficiency; (4) Students have a strong demand for teaching reform, especially expecting material related to their major (efficacy score 4.3/5) and personalized feedback (efficacy score 4.38/5). The research indicates that in the AI era, the EFL learning motivation of engineering students presents a complex situation of “strengthened instrumental rationality and weakened intrinsic motivation”, which requires responses through curriculum integration, AI literacy cultivation, and the reconstruction of teacher-student relationships.