Pre-service teachers’ attitudes towards artificial intelligence and its integration into EFL teaching and learning

Abstract

Even though artificial intelligence (AI) is no new occurrence, with its beginnings dating back to the 1950s, its use has gained popularity worldwide, especially in recent years, and its presence and importance has grown in many areas of human lives, including education. Surveys conducted internationally have found generally positive attitudes of university students towards artificial intelligence (AI) and its inclusion into various fields of research and study. However, only few research probes have been conducted among students of philology and future language teachers. No such research has been conducted among university students or pre-service EFL teachers in Central Europe. This paper aims to fill this gap in educational research knowledge, as knowing teachers’ and teacher students’ attitudes towards AI can be a key factor in the success or failure of applying AI in education. Therefore, the aim of the study is to determine the level of knowledge and dominant attitudes towards AI in general, AI in learning/teaching EFL and the inclusion of AI in the teacher training curriculum among pre-service EFL teachers in Slovakia.

Keywords

• ai
• attitudes towards ai
• pre-service efl teachers
• ai-powered foreign language education
• ai-powered efl teacher training