Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Department of Language and Literature, Farhangian University, Tehran, Iran
2
Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran.
10.22126/tale.2026.12980.1145
Abstract
The rapid expansion of generative artificial intelligence has sparked renewed debate about its pedagogical, ethical, and cultural implications for language education, particularly in underrepresented contexts. This study examines how preservice and in-service English teachers in Iran perceive and experience the integration of ChatGPT in their practice, focusing on the development of critical AI literacy. Using a qualitative interpretivist approach, data were collected from twenty teachers in Kurdistan Province through semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and reflective written tasks. The data were analyzed thematically to explore teachers' practices, concerns, and reflections on AI in English language teaching. The findings suggest that ChatGPT supports lesson planning, learner autonomy, and student engagement by offering flexible language practice and instructional scaffolding. Teachers reported increased confidence in experimenting with communicative and learner-centered pedagogies. However, they expressed concerns about content accuracy, academic integrity, overreliance on AI, and the cultural appropriateness of AI-generated materials. Contextual factors, including limited digital access, rigid curricula, and sociocultural sensitivities, influenced how teachers adopted and adapted the tool. Overall, teachers viewed ChatGPT not as a replacement for pedagogy but as a resource requiring critical mediation. The study concludes that the effective integration of generative AI in language education depends on fostering critical AI literacy that prioritizes ethical awareness, reflective judgment, and contextual sensitivity. By centering teachers’ voices in the Iranian EFL context, this research contributes empirical insights to global discussions on the responsible and pedagogically grounded integration of AI in language teacher education.
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