With the rapid advancement of AI, its integration into EFL education has become increasingly prominent. This small-scale study provides insights from a Taiwanese higher education context, drawing on both EFL teachers’ and students’ perspectives. Guided by Cognitive Load Theory (CLT), the study examines how AI is used to support language learning tasks, involving varying levels of cognitive load, and explores its potential role in managing learners’ cognitive processing demands. A mixed-methods approach was employed, with quantitative and qualitative data collected through questionnaires. The study also explores patterns of AI usage, perceptions of its effectiveness, challenges encountered, and attitudes toward its future role in English education. The findings indicate that AI has become a widely used support tool in EFL learning. Students primarily use AI tools, such as ChatGPT and Grammarly, for writing, information searching, and grammar support, i.e., tasks that typically impose high intrinsic cognitive load on EFL learners. In contrast, teachers mainly employ AI for lesson preparation, material design, and efficiency enhancement, thereby reducing extraneous cognitive load. Although both groups hold positive attitudes toward AI integration, teachers demonstrate a more cautious approach due to concerns regarding usability, pedagogical alignment, data privacy, and potential students’ overreliance. From a CLT perspective, the results suggest that while AI can reduce extraneous cognitive load and provide procedural support, excessive dependence on AI may limit learners’ germane cognitive load by reducing their active engagement in language processing. Students largely agree that AI cannot replace human teachers, particularly in areas involving emotional support, interaction, and guidance. The data indicate that effective AI integration requires institutional support, professional training, and the development of digital literacy to ensure a balanced, human-centered approach to AI-enhanced EFL education.

This study which entitles “Learners’ Attitudes towards the Project Works in promoting English learner autonomy: a Case Study at Foreign Trade University-Ho Chi Minh Campus” was conducted with the following objectives: (1) to investigate students’ attitudes towards the use of project works to enhance their autonomous learning in an English speaking class; (2) to find out to what extent students believe that using project works can promote their autonomous learning; and (3) to figure out difficulties that learners have during the time they conduct Video making project. The study population was 73 second-year students who took the course English listening and speaking 2. An open-ended questionnaire and semi-structured interview were employed as research instruments for data collection. The result firstly shows that the students have positive attitudes towards the use of project works in English class that may have enhanced their autonomous learning. Then, it reveals students’ preference in having more project works to do in their English classes. Nonetheless, using project works’ evaluation as one of criteria for course assessment is a controversial issue among these students. In addition, students’ interest in utilizing information technology devices is remarked as one of the significant findings in this study. Furthermore, some difficulties when conducting projects are found including time constraints, teamwork conflicts, cultural differences and technology problems. In short, because of students’ positive attitudes toward Video making project in enhancing their autonomous learning, it is suggested that teachers should consider applying the project in their language teaching.