Carting the Significance of Artificial Intelligence in English Language Teaching

Abstract

The use of educational technologies in English language teaching (ELT) has become widely accepted in the post-pandemic era, and, for better or worse, some of these technologies rely on artificial intelligence (AI). Artificial intelligence is on the rise as witnessed in the growing popularity of dialogue systems like Alexa. However, some key criteria still need to be met before it can serve as a substitute for a real-life language teacher: spontaneity, creativity and shared knowledge. As an area of technological growth and increasing financial investment, we are likely to see more AI-driven technologies in teaching and learning in the post-pandemic ELT world. ELT will not be immune to this development, and it behooves us as language teachers to be familiar with AI's current benefits and challenges, so that we can better prepare for that future. This article describes how AI is currently used in ELT and explores some of the opportunities and challenges that AI can provide for learners, teachers and institutions.