EFL TEACHING IN THE AGE OF GENERATIVE AI: CHALLENGES, OPPORTUNITIES, AND TEACHER AGENCY

Abstract

The emergence of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, Grammarly, and DeepL Write has triggered a structural transformation in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education. While student writing, translation, and revision processes are increasingly mediated by AI, the role of the EFL teacher has come under pressure—both pedagogically and professionally. This study reframes the conversation by foregrounding teacher agency as the critical lens for understanding and navigating the AI turn in language education. It identifies challenges and emerging opportunities for EFL teachers in the age of AI. The paper argues that teachers must not be treated as passive adopters or institutional gatekeepers, but as active designers of AI-mediated learning ecologies. Reclaiming teacher agency is essential to ensuring that AI enhances rather than erodes the pedagogical aims of EFL instruction. The future of AI in language education depends not on technological innovation alone, but on whether educators are empowered to shape its role in meaningful, ethical, and context-responsive ways.