Claude in EFL Education: A Critical Review of Pedagogical Uses and Challenges

The rapid emergence of generative artificial intelligence has profoundly reshaped the landscape of language teaching. Among various large language models (LLMs), Claude stands out as a sophisticated platform capable of supporting complex language tasks, multimodal input, and extensive contextual processing. This critical review examines the pedagogical potential of Claude for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instruction, while also addressing the significant challenges that arise from its use. By synthesizing official technical documentation alongside recent empirical studies published between ۲۰۲۴ and ۲۰۲۶, the paper evaluates Claude’s practical applications in writing support, speaking practice, feedback generation, and assessment assistance. The review argues that the effectiveness of Claude is not inherent to the technology; rather, it is heavily mediated by the teacher's expertise, digital literacy, and critical judgment. Furthermore, the paper highlights that in under-resourced contexts—such as parts of Iran and Indonesia—the "digital divide" and institutional resistance pose formidable barriers to adoption, often preventing enthusiastic educators from using these tools. The study advocates for a "teacher-mediated" model, where AI acts as a controlled assistant rather than a replacement. Ultimately, the paper offers pedagogical implications for practitioners, acknowledges its own limitations, and provides concrete suggestions for future research in both technological and culturally responsive domains.

کلیدواژه ها:

Claude ، EFL ، Generative AI ، Teacher Roles ، Digital Divide ، Critical Review ، Contextual Barriers