Generative AI in English Literature Education: Opportunities, Challenges, and Pedagogical Implications

Abstract

The rapid development of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is transforming educational practices and creating new possibilities for English literature education. This paper examines the emerging role of GenAI in the teaching and learning of English literature, focusing on its potential to reshape literary interpretation, critical thinking, creativity, reading practices, and pedagogical relationships. GenAI can provide students with alternative interpretations, contextual information, personalized learning support, creative prompts, and opportunities for comparative analysis. However, its integration also raises important concerns related to academic integrity, authorship, originality, misinformation, algorithmic bias, privacy, unequal access, and excessive dependence on automated content. Particular attention is given to the changing role of the English literature teacher, who increasingly functions as a facilitator, critical mediator, learning designer, and ethical guide rather than simply as a transmitter of literary knowledge. The paper argues that effective integration of GenAI requires a human-centered pedagogical approach that preserves close reading, independent interpretation, critical judgment, creativity, and learner autonomy. It further identifies significant research gaps concerning the long-term effects of AI use, literary interpretation, creativity, EFL contexts, assessment, teacher preparedness, and cultural representation. The paper concludes that GenAI should not replace human literary thinking but should be strategically employed to enhance inquiry, dialogue, experimentation, and engagement with literary texts. Responsible integration can therefore contribute to a more flexible, critically informed, and human-centered model of English literature education.