Educators’ Perceptions and Experiences of Using Artificial Intelligence in the English Language Classroom: A Systematic Literature Review

The incorporation of artificial intelligence in teaching and learning environments, especially in English as a Second Language instruction, is constantly evolving. This has led to studies focusing on students’ perspectives, but there is a lack of research on educators’ experiences with artificial intelligence in classrooms. The paper provides an overview of educators’ perceptions and experiences with AI applications through a systematic review. This review synthesises 34 studies from 435 articles published between 2021 and 2024. The reviewed studies include countries from Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Africa and involve both pre-service and in-service educators across primary, secondary and tertiary levels. Based on the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge framework, the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology and the Substitution-Augmentation-Modification-Redefinition model, this review identifies themes across pedagogical benefits, ethical concerns and implementation challenges. The findings show that most studies focused on the technical aspects of artificial intelligence rather than educators’ real experience applying it in classrooms. Hence, this paper recognises critical gaps, including the need for longitudinal studies on integration, frameworks for artificial intelligence-driven pedagogy, and professional development initiatives tailored to educators’ diverse levels of competence. This provides valuable guidelines for policymakers, institutions, and future researchers for bridging the gap between artificial intelligence and pedagogy. This review highlights the importance of educator-focused research and the inclusive exploration of artificial intelligence’s role in language instruction