The Future of Education

This work examines how digital tools, online resources, and emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, influence on English language acquisition from both learner and future educator perspectives. This qualitative study, developed at the largest state public university in southeast Mexico, adopted a small-scale exploratory approach using a focus group discussion with 22 preservice EFL teachers who participated voluntarily. The participants recognized significant advantages in accessibility and abundant resources (e.g., TikTok educational content and YouTube videos, etc.), and engagement through interactive formats. However, they emphasized substantial limitations in developing speaking fluency, contextual interaction, and affective dimensions, such as empathy and emotional support. Key concerns included distractions in online and hybrid settings, challenges in verifying student effort, and the overuse of tools that lack human judgment. As future teachers, participants discussed the evolving role of educators, shifting from information providers to facilitators, and advocated for the balanced and well-prepared integration of technology. Findings align with broader trends in EFL teacher education to foster digital literacy and human-centered pedagogy. The results may provide beneficial insights for teacher educators, curriculum designers and decision-makers.

Keywords: Language learning, technology integration, English as a Foreign Language, preservice EFL teachers. 

REFERENCES

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