AI 시대 비서직 영어역량 탐색: 고경력 비서들의 경험을 중심으로

Although the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) has brought significant changes to the English competence required of secretaries, little research has examined how secretaries experience these changes in actual workplace settings. To address this gap, this study aimed to explore the English competencies required of secretaries in the AI era and the corresponding implications for English education by posing the following research questions: (1) How is AI utilized in English-related secretarial work? (2) What job-related English competencies are required in the AI era? (3) What aspects should be considered in English education for secretarial professionals in this context? To answer these questions, a qualitative research method was employed, involving the collection and analysis of interview data from five practicing secretaries with over ten years of professional experience. The findings are as follows. First, in the process of performing English-related tasks, AI is utilized as a native-level editor and as a supportive assistant. Second, secretaries’ confidence in AI-assisted English work is underpinned by a high level of reading comprehension and the ability to engage in real-time oral communication. Third, effective English for Specific Purposes (ESP) education that actively incorporates AI tools should be considered for secretarial English training. Based on these findings, the study concludes that the core English competencies required of secretaries in the AI era include, first, the ability to communicate immediately in workplace situations where unexpected issues frequently arise, and second, an integrated reading competence that enables the interpretation of cultural nuances. These conclusions suggest that English education for secretarial professionals should further incorporate instruction that promotes the active use of AI tools and expand ESP-based reading and speaking education tailored to professional domains. This study is significant in that it represents the first empirical investigation into secretaries’ English work experiences since the commercialization of generative AI, such as ChatGPT, in 2022.