The role of Artificial Intelligence in language Learning for intermediate EFL learmers

Language learning has been the focus of individual and national attention. In recent years, rapid advancements have been made in large language models that can perform complex natural-language processing tasks. Artificial intelligence (AI) in the educational field represents a challenge for institutions and teachers, with special attention to the lack of the ethical component that leads to supplanting the work of students. For teachers, it represents a double challenge: developing the skills to incorporate it as a learning and knowledge technology (TAC) and, on the other hand, appropriating AI to develop professionalizing skills. This study was carried out with a quantitative approach, being a descriptive study, using as a technique the survey for students and the Likert scale for teachers. It was found that teachers recognize AI as an irreversible trend in education, which will not displace them, but which forces them to train for its incorporation as a TAC and to integrate it as a professionalizing digital competence. In addition, it was found that Students report using artificial intelligence applications in their academic work occasionally (۴۰.۳%), rarely (۳۴.۷%) and almost always (۱۳.۲%). The applications that students are most familiar with are ChatGPT (۸۳.۳%), followed by Duolingo (۶۶.۷%) and Brainly (۴۸.۶%). The applications that students use the most are ChatGPT (۶۳.۹%), followed by Brainly (۲۷.۸%) and Duolingo (۲۲.۲%).۵۰% of students occasionally use AI in their educational processes, mainly to generate academic information and some others oriented to their field of work. The results obtained seek to redefine the technological profile of teachers, design training workshops and develop a repository of resources for teacher self-training, and knowledge of AI applications and the ability to put them into practice must be complemented with ethical elements that govern their use and regulate their products, well as encourage students to use AI ethically.

کلیدواژه ها:

Artificial intelligence ، EFL learners ، Language Learning ، Language teaching