The Trends in the Integration of AI Technologies in English Language Teaching: Systematic Literature Review

This systematic literature review (SLR) focuses on AI, which is generally a new topic in education, with limited reviews on its use and roles, especially in ELT practices. Three research questions guided this review, which are: 1) How have AI technologies in ELT been defined and conceptualised in recent years? 2) What role does AI play in supporting ELT in recent years? 3) What strategies can be implemented to ensure the responsible and ethical use of AI technologies in ELT? The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) coding scheme, which is an established systematic review framework, was utilised as a guideline in selecting the articles for the review. Three phases were involved: identification, screening, and inclusion. As a result, the review included twenty-four out of thirty-two papers from Scopus and Web of Science (WOS) for analysis. The findings reveal that AI has progressed from just an intelligent system to a practical technology in the ELT field. It plays an essential role in supporting ELT practices through available tools and applications for both educators and learners. Lastly, the findings indicate that it is crucial to use AI in a principled manner, develop systematic guidelines and ethical frameworks, and conduct further research on AI in ELT to ensure proper use of AI among educators. Overall, this comprehensive review may serve as a valuable reference for future research in understanding the effectiveness of AI technologies in ELT practices.