Academic Writing II
14/06/2024
Intriago Toala Eduardo
INTRODUCTION
T HE classic generic and standardized system of education has come under heavy fire
in recent years since it cannot be tailored to each student’s needs [1]. Education systems
worldwide are moving in the direction of a more individualized, technology-enhanced,
and student-centered curriculum. One of the latest technological developments to trigger
educators’ interest is artificial intelligence (AI). In particular, educators see great potential
in AI applications’ ability to help them gain a fundamental understanding of students’
learning paths from the yielded data, perceiving AI usage as ultimately enhancing the
effectiveness of learning structures and academic systems. The use of AI has permeated
the educational system deeply enough to drastically alter its shape and structure, from
developing tailored study materials and fulfilling the unique and individual needs of the
learners to replicating human dialogue and creating and grading customized assessments.
The phrase AI, first came about in 1956 from John McCarthy [3]. No consensus
currently exists regarding a universal definition of AI, and contemporary explanations are
varied. Due to ongoing changes in what AI entails, it is challenging to formulate a
common definition of AI [4], along with the interdisciplinarity of its research [5]. Some
academics have defined AI as devices, such as computers or computer systems that mimic
human cognitive abilities[3], whereas others have considered AI to be a defined group of
computer functions precisely associated with learning and problem solving. For example,
Luckin et al.[4] described AI as follows: “Computer systems that have been designed to
interact with the world through capabilities (for example, visual perception and speech
recognition) and intelligent behaviors (for example, capability of using available
information about the world and making decisions or taking the most sensible action to
achieve a stated goal) that we would think of as essentially human.” [4, p. 14] Authors
have also referred to AI as the application of technological advancements, such as
machine learning and natural language processing to enable a computerized device to
emulate smart human behaviors [6]. In the field of education, AI-powered technologies
surpass human teachers in the ability to collate enormous volumes of data on learners’
academic achievement, on the basis of which educational content and students’ individual
learning trajectories are modeled or adapted [5], [7]. In addition, they facilitate learning
growth by providing quick feedback. AI is based on two key principles: autonomy and
adaptability. Adaptability refers to the capacity to enhance task execution through
experience-based learning, whereas autonomy refers to the capacity to complete activities
in challenging settings without ongoing user direction [8]. These two ideas serve as key
tenets in establishing an instructional precedent that offers a satisfactory response to the
range of current and future AI-based approaches [8]. Although researchers have examined
how to integrate AI in education over the past three decades, they are only at this stage
starting to look into the potential teaching prospects of AI technologies to assist students
across the student life cycle [9]. In the context of language learning in particular, AI
supports advancement in various ways, including the provision of customized feedback,
adjustable educational pathways, sophisticated tutoring systems, and natural language
processing tools. However, these technologies also pose multiple issues of concerns and
requirements that highlight the need for further examination, including ethical, societal,
cultural, and linguistic problems, as well as the caliber and authority of the information.
and algorithms used by AI frameworks. As a result, further in-depth research needs to
be undertaken to investigate how AI can be used in language instruction contexts, both
successfully and conscientiously, along with identifying the best practices and
recommendations for designing, constructing, and evaluating AI-based language-learning
resolutions. Vigorous growing development of AI, together with educators’ increased
interest in this area, justifies further literary analysis into the use of AI in English as a
foreign language (EFL). Accordingly, this article highlights the current landscape,
potential drawbacks, and promising future of AI in EFL for teachers, students, and
developers. This systematic review provides an overview of AI research in language
learning, an evaluation of the primary AI-powered tools featured in EFL research, and
possible identification of future research directions.
Move 1: Establishing a territory (claiming centrality) color
Move 2: Establishing a niche (indicating a gap) color
Move 3: Occupying a niche color
