Utilizing Artificial Intelligence in University English Courses: Opportunities and Challenges
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70963/jpr.v4i2.285Keywords:
Large Language Models, Chatgpt, Digital Literacy, Academic Integrity, Self-Regulated LearningAbstract
The rise of generative artificial intelligence (AI) such as ChatGPT is changing how students and lecturers conduct English courses, yet its pedagogical benefits and risks remain debated. This article aims to map the opportunities and challenges of using AI in university English courses and to formulate pedagogical implications. It employs a narrative literature review of journal articles published between 2022 and 2024 and one international policy document, analysed thematically. The review identifies five main opportunities: immediate feedback on writing, communicative practice with adjustable input, personalisation and formative assessment, support for lecturers' course planning, and stronger learner motivation and autonomy. It also identifies five challenges: output accuracy and bias, dependence that weakens the learning process, academic integrity and the unreliability of AI detectors (an average false-positive rate of 61.3% for non-native writers' essays in one study), gaps in literacy and access, and the readiness of lecturers and institutional governance. The review concludes that the value of AI is determined by task design rather than by the technology alone. It proposes a three-stage integration framework (design, implement, evaluate) that positions AI as scaffolding under the control of lecturers and learners.
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