Coded Stories, Cultural Scripts Intercultural Communication in AI-Driven Children's English Learning Apps

Abstract

As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more embedded in children’s English language education through story-driven apps, questions arise about the cultural and ecological assumptions encoded in algorithmic narratives. This chapter examines how AI-powered platforms, particularly Lingokids, represent cultural diversity, spatial norms, and nature. Although presented as neutral language-learning tools, these narratives operate as coded stories that subtly reproduce specific cultural scripts. Drawing on intercultural communication theory, ecocriticism, and critical media literacy, the study conducts a qualitative visual content analysis of five alphabet-based Lingokids stories. Findings show recurring Western suburban imagery, anthropomorphized characters, sanitized ecological settings, and simplified story structures indicating algorithmic cultural reductionism. The chapter introduces an interdisciplinary framework for evaluating AI-mediated storytelling and recommends culturally inclusive, ecologically responsive narrative practices for educators, designers, and policymakers. Copyright © 2026, IGI Global Scientific Publishing.