The Use of Artificial Intelligence in English Language Teaching: Opportunities and Challenges

This article examines how artificial intelligence (AI) tools are being used in English language teaching, what they offer to learners and teachers, and what they put at risk. Using an analytical review of research published mainly between 2016 and 2024, the study sorts the evidence into reported opportunities and reported challenges. The reviewed literature suggests that AI tools, chiefly chatbots, intelligent assistants, automated feedback systems and large language models, are most useful where they extend practice time, give immediate feedback and reduce the routine workload of teachers. The same literature points to unreliable or biased output, learner over-reliance, short-lived novelty effects, privacy risks and uneven teacher preparation. The article argues that the benefits depend less on the technology itself than on the pedagogical frame built around it, and that teacher judgement remains the deciding factor. Practical implications for EFL teachers and university programmes are outlined.