Critical Thinking as a Key to Empowering Graduate Students’ English Learning in the AI Era

The pedagogical shift toward using AI tools as learning assistants presents significant opportunities for language learners. Despite these advancements, the educational system has failed to implement regulations addressing dependency issues and diminishing critical engagement. This study explores the impact of Critical Thinking (CT)-integrated instruction on graduate students’ English language proficiency in the AI era via an exploratory sequential mixed-methods research design. The study began with an interview, continued with a pre-test, a 20-session CT-integrated intervention, and a post-test; and ended up with a follow-up interview from 107 Iranian graduate students who reported reliance on AI for language learning. They were selected through convenient sampling and were categorized into high- and low-critical thinking groups based on their performance on Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal (W-GCTA) test. They were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups, and received semester-long CT-integrated instruction and normal instruction respectively. Mixed-model ANOVA analyses of scores revealed significant improvements in language proficiency, particularly in evaluation and self-regulation across competencies. The results from the follow-up interview underscore the necessity of incorporating CT into the language curriculum to equip students with essential skills for effective engagement and performance in modern educational environment. Educators are thus provided with methods to reconcile the benefits of AI tools with the cultivation of autonomous, critical language learners.