This study explores the holistic integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education, addressing significant gaps in empirical research on AI and EFL. Drawing on existing literature on the ecological views of AI in education, the study conceptualizes holistic integration as a balanced interaction among teachers, students, and AI technologies, enhancing rather than replacing traditional human interactions in pedagogy through mediating teacher-student interactions. The research utilized a mixed-method approach to investigate AI's impact on EFL students' proficiency and perceptions in teacher-led classrooms. 66 Participants from an eastern Chinese city were sampled and divided into an experimental group using AI tools and a control group following traditional education methods. Quantitative results from descriptive and inferential tests revealed that the students who learnt with AI-mediated teacher-student interactions achieved significantly better proficiency than those who did not. Moreover, qualitative findings highlighted that students believe in the effects of holistically integrating AI in EFL education for it (1) facilitated the collaboration among teachers, students and AI, (2) enhanced students' learning motivation, and (3) better fitted their learning preferences. The study concludes that the holistic approach of AI integration in EFL education can optimize EFL learning by leveraging AI's technological benefits and maintaining essential human interaction, indicating a collaborative, instead of a replacing, view of the AI-induced educational reformation. This research underscores the need for strategic AI integration that respects teachers' pedagogical roles, promotes student engagement and enhances students' learning experiences with cultural consideration.
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