Innovation in Language Learning

The emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools and more specifically LLM Chatbots, has led foreign language (FL) education into a transformative era. ChatGPT ,in particular, has gained worldwide attention for empowering teachers to enhance language learning through immediate feedback, tailored learning experiences and authentic conversational contexts. However, there seems to be a considerable research gap in relation to FL teachers’ adoption and adaptation of these tools in both formal and informal teaching settings. The present study intended to address that gap by dealing with three core aspects: the pedagogical challenges teachers face when implementing AI tools; their reflections on informal, self-directed initiatives and their impact on students’ language skills and motivation; and the strategies employed to effectively integrate ChatGPT while managing concerns related to its accuracy. To investigate these dimensions, an online questionnaire addressing FL teachers from various regions and educational levels in Greece, has been employed. It examined teacher challenges, reflections and strategies.Allitems in the questionnaire were close ended, allowing for the collection of quantitative data. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were conducted in order to identify correlations of teacher characteristics, and their AI integration practices, perceived challenges, most preferred strategies for leveraging ChatGPT effectively in the teaching process and ideal professional development models. In the final analysis, the present research aimed to synthesize insights originating from various teaching contexts, presenting how AI enhances FL learning and simultaneously promotes professional growth. Adding to that, its findings contribute to informing institutional policies, enriching the repertoire and crafting the design of teacher training practices worldwide while ensuring the development/advancement of AI solutions in FL education.

Keywords: artificial intelligence, ChatGPT, foreign language education, professional development