Critical Literary Analysis Assisted by Artificial Intelligence in the University Classroom for Spanish as a Foreign Language

Abstract

This study aims at evaluating the potential of conversational artificial intelligence (AI) in the analysis of literary texts in the university classroom for teaching Spanish as a foreign language (SFL) compared to the traditional method. It is carried out using an exploratory comparative design with an experimental group and a control group. The sample consists of third-year SFL undergraduate students at Ibn Khaldoun University in Tiaret, Algeria. The aim is to compare the effects of both methods on variables such as literary competence, considered in its critical, reflective and interpretative dimensions, and assessed through students’ interaction with the symbols abundantly present  in the selected corpus. As for the results, it is highlighted, amongst other things, that although AI can support literary analysis, the traditional method remains effective in developing students’ creative abilities and enabling them to construct meaning for themselves.