Adaptive voice interaction as a cognitive regulation mechanism during second-language listening: The roles of learner agency and listening anxiety.

The increasing integration of artificial intelligence into learning environments has created new opportunities to examine how adaptive technologies influence fundamental psychological processes underlying language learning. This Study investigated whether learner-controlled voice interaction functions as a cognitive regulation mechanism that enhances second-language (L2) listening performance while reducing listening anxiety through greater learner agency and more efficient cognitive processing. A sequential explanatory mixed-methods design was employed with 57 Chinese university students learning English as a foreign language, including an experimental group (n = 27) that used an intelligent voice assistant for adaptive listening support and a control group (n = 30) that completed equivalent listening activities using conventional digital resources. Listening comprehension and foreign language listening anxiety were assessed before and after an eight-week intervention, followed by semi-structured interviews with selected participants. Analysis of covariance demonstrated that participants receiving adaptive voice-supported learning achieved significantly higher listening performance and significantly lower listening anxiety than those in the comparison group after controlling for baseline differences. Qualitative findings indicated that learner-controlled interaction facilitated cognitive regulation by reducing processing demands, strengthening perceived autonomy, and promoting self-regulated listening strategies. Rather than serving merely as a technological aid, adaptive voice interaction appeared to function as a psychological scaffold that supported both cognitive efficiency and emotional adaptation during demanding listening tasks. These findings extend contemporary perspectives on human-AI interaction by demonstrating how learner agency and cognitive regulation jointly contribute to successful language processing. The Study advances psychological research on technology-assisted learning by identifying adaptive voice interaction as a mechanism through which cognitive and affective processes can be simultaneously optimized in authentic learning contexts, while recognizing the methodological constraints associated with quasi-experimental classroom research.