EFL Instructors’ Perspective on Using AI Applications in English as a Foreign Language Teaching and Learning

Abstract

This study aimed to explore the perspectives of EFL instructors working in a variety of universities in the UAE on the effectiveness of AI applications in the EFL classroom. EFL teachers need to use AI applications in ways that are aligned with instructional goals and support student learning. A quantitative approach was used, and data was gathered from a survey of 46 EFL instructors. The results showed that the instructors strongly relied on AI applications to facilitate tasks, offer data-driven insights to improve instructional strategies and customize the learning process for each student. They also positively valued the benefits that AI applications bring to their classrooms for improving the teaching process. Notably, the results showed that the years of teaching experience had a statistically significant impact on the means of EFL instructors' perspectives regarding the benefits of adopting AI apps in EFL classrooms. The results also showed that, despite teaching experience, there were no significant differences in perceptions regarding the challenges of utilizing AI apps. This is probably because EFL students are accustomed to using technology in their lectures. Due to their benefits in English language instruction, the study suggests incorporating AI applications into the EFL teaching process. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2024-SIED1-05 Full Text: PDF