Secondary school english-as-a-foreign-language teachers’ artificial intelligence use and practices in teaching

Abstract

The widespread introduction of generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies has triggered an intense debate on its potential influence on language teaching. The sophisticated features of generative AI technologies and their rapid adoption present challenges and opportunities for language teachers. This research explores the use and practices of AI among secondary school English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) teachers. It investigates their attitudes toward the utilization of AI in teaching, how they adapt traditional methods to integrate AI tools, and the perceived benefits and challenges of AI integration. The study employs an exploratory qualitative approach relying on pre- and post-questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with 11 Saudi female EFL teachers in secondary public schools. The teachers received online pedagogical training highlighting the benefits of AI in teaching English and possible practices, such as lesson planning, activities design, and assessments. The findings indicate that the teachers had positive attitudes toward using AI for lesson planning, designing classroom activities, and making and correcting assessments. However, the teachers pointed out the challenges of using such technologies, including student and teacher training, over-reliance, connection malfunction, and ethical use of personal information. The findings offer insight into the current state of AI integration in EFL education, reveal gaps in knowledge and resources, and point to recommendations for the effective implementation of AI in language teaching.