Artificial Intelligence in English Language Learning: A Conceptual Analysis of Pedagogical Opportunities, Challenges, and Future Directions
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62843/jrsr/v.iii.209Keywords:
Artificial Intelligence, English Language Learning, Computer-assisted Language Learning, Generative AI PedagogyAbstract
The rapid diffusion of artificial intelligence (AI) into educational contexts has generated substantial interest in its implications for English language learning (ELL). This conceptual paper synthesizes current publications to examine the pedagogical opportunities, challenges, and future directions associated with AI integration in ELL. Drawing on frameworks from computer-assisted language learning and recent research on generative AI, the paper addresses pedagogical opportunities that AI offers to language learners, challenges and concerns arise from its integration, and pedagogical directions that can support its effective and responsible use. The analysis identifies personalized learning, automated feedback, and expanded opportunities for authentic practice as central affordances, while also highlighting concerns regarding communicative authenticity, linguistic standardization, academic integrity, and equity of access. The paper argues that the pedagogical value of AI in ELL depends less on the technology itself than on the theoretical and institutional frameworks within which it is embedded. It concludes by proposing directions for teachers’ AI literacy, curriculum integration, and assessment reform that position AI as a complement to, rather than a replacement for, human-mediated language instruction. The discussion contributes a conceptual framework for researchers and practitioners seeking to evaluate AI's role in ELL critically and constructively.
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