Journal of English for Specific Purposes Praxis

Journal of English for Specific Purposes Praxis

AI-Mediated Parent-Teacher Collaboration: Addressing Separation Anxiety in a Very Young Second Language Learner

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1 Department of Foreign Languages, Faculty of Humanities and Management, Mazandaran University of Science and Technology, Babol, Iran
2 Department of English Language, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
10.22034/jespp.2026.587137.1054
Abstract
Artificial intelligence (AI) is gaining popularity in education, but little is known about how AI might help parents and teachers work together to address the emotional difficulties of young students, especially separation anxiety in second language (L2) environments. This study explored how artificial intelligence (AI) can support collaboration between a parent and a teacher in addressing a child’s separation anxiety in the context of early English language learning. The study was conducted by the mother of the child, who served as both researcher and participant. Using a qualitative longitudinal case study design, the research followed a five-year-old boy over a six-month period as he began attending English classes in 2024. Data were collected through AI–parent chat logs, mother–child interactions, and the teacher’s field notes. The child's emotional growth was tracked using thematic analysis, which also looked at how AI-mediated reflections affected the parent-teacher relationship. The findings revealed that AI served as a tool that supported three key dimensions of the collaborative process: (1) assisting the parent in communicating with the teacher in a courteous and cooperative manner; (2) organizing the collaboration process through reflective frameworks and progress monitoring; and (3) directing the content of interventions by recommending useful techniques like role-playing and classroom duties. The child's separation anxiety gradually decreased as a result of these AI-supported interactions, progressing from severe discomfort to increasing independence and self-assurance in the classroom. The study highlights the potential of AI to enhance teacher–parent collaboration and support children’s emotional adjustment in second language (L2) learning environments. It offers both empirical and pedagogical contributions by extending research on L2 anxiety to include separation anxiety and by demonstrating how AI can facilitate reflective and solution-oriented communication. Although limited to a single case, the findings suggest promising directions for future studies on integrating AI-mediated collaboration in early childhood education and language learning contexts. The researcher's dual role as both parent and participant is acknowledged as a limitation of this study.
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