Cover not available

In:Technology and Instructed Second Language Acquisition: Connecting research and pedagogy
Edited by Shawn Loewen, Frederick J. Poole, Hyun-Bin Hwang and Matthew D. Coss
[Language Learning & Language Teaching 63] 2025
► pp. 163–184

Get fulltext from our e-platform
JBE logo with link
PDF logo with download linkDownload Book PDF
authorization required

Chapter 7
Generative AI in instructed SLA

Bridging AI literacies with L2 pedagogy

 | Michigan State University
 | University of Maryland
Published online: 27 October 2025
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/lllt.63.07poo
Abstract
This chapter explores the intersection of generative AI (GenAI) and digital literacies in the context of language learning and teaching. As the digital landscape evolves, so too do the literacies required to navigate it effectively. This chapter investigates how GenAI tools like ChatGPT and Claude transform cognitive processes, content creation, and language instruction. We review research on GenAI’s impact on instructed second language acquisition (ISLA), focusing on GenAI-mediated interventions, teacher and learner perceptions, and GenAI-assisted material creation. This chapter concludes with practical examples highlighting how AI can be leveraged to enhance, rather than replace, learning. By framing AI literacy as a crucial component of digital literacies, this chapter emphasizes the need for thoughtful integration of AI tools to support language development in an ever-evolving digital world.
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • Theories and research
    • Defining artificial intelligence
    • Early research on GenAI
    • Theoretical perspectives for AI and language teaching and learning
    • Instructed second language acquisition: Perceptions, designing, and learning
    • Perception and acceptance of GenAI
    • GenAI for material creation
    • Effects of GenAI on learning
    • Exemplary GenAI and instructed SLA study
    • Generalizability and representativeness
  • Pedagogical applications and considerations
    • Identifying tasks that are appropriate for AI tools
    • Writing effective prompts
    • Identifying appropriate AI tools
    • Using AI to enhance rather than replace learning
    • Acknowledging the use of AI and understanding the ethical issues around its development and use
    • Basic understanding of how GenAI generates content
  • Pedagogical scenario(s) for reflection
    • Scenario 1: Content creation in the Spanish classroom
    • Scenario 2: Developing AI literacy in the Chinese classroom
  • Extension resources
    • Reflection and discussion questions
    • Topics for (action) research
    • Extra resources
  • Generative AI use acknowledgement
  • References
References (53)
References
Al-khresheh, M. H. (2024). Bridging technology and pedagogy from a global lens: Teachers’ perspectives on integrating ChatGPT in English language teaching. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 6, 100218. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Athanassopoulos, S., Manoli, P., Gouvi, M., Lavidas, K., & Komis, V. (2023). The use of ChatGPT as a learning tool to improve foreign language writing in a multilingual and multicultural classroom. Advances in Mobile Learning Educational Research, 3(2), 818–824. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Atkinson, D. (2010). Extended, embodied cognition and second language acquisition. Applied Linguistics, 31(5), 599–622. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Bonner, E., Lege, R., & Frazier, E. (2023). Large language model-based artificial intelligence in the language classroom: Practical ideas for teaching. Teaching English With Technology, 2023(1). Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Brown, T., Mann, B., Ryder, N., Subbiah, M., Kaplan, J. D., Dhariwal, P., Neelakantan, A., Shyam, P., Sastry, G., Askell, A., Agarwal, S., Herbert-Voss, A., Krueger, G., Henighan, T., Child, R., Ramesh, A., Ziegler, D., Wu, J., Winter, C., Hesse, C., … & Amodei, D. (2020). Language models are few-shot learners. Advances in Neural Information Processing Systems, 33, 1877–1901.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Çelik, F., Yangın Ersanlı, C., & Arslanbay, G. (2024). Does AI simplification of authentic blog texts improve reading comprehension, inferencing, and anxiety? A one-shot intervention in Turkish EFL context. International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 25(3), 287–303. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Davis, F. D. (1989). Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and user acceptance of information technology. MIS Quarterly, 16(2), 227–247. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Ellis, R., Loewen, S., & Erlam, R. (2006). Implicit and explicit corrective feedback and the acquisition of L2 grammar. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 28(2), 339–368. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Ghafouri, M., Hassaskhah, J., & Mahdavi-Zafarghandi, A. (2024). From virtual assistant to writing mentor: Exploring the impact of a ChatGPT-based writing instruction protocol on EFL teachers’ self-efficacy and learners’ writing skill. Language Teaching Research. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Hafner, C. A., Chik, A., & Jones, R. H. (2013). Engaging with digital literacies in TESOL. TESOL Quarterly, 47(4), 812–815. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Hatmanto, E. D., & Sari, M. I. (2023). Aligning theory and practice: Leveraging ChatGPT for effective English language teaching and learning. E3S Web of Conferences, 440, 05001. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Jeon, J., & Lee, S. (2023). Large language models in education: A focus on the complementary relationship between human teachers and ChatGPT. Education and Information Technologies, 28(12), 15873–15892. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Jiang, X., Li, J., & Chen, C. (2024). Enhancing critical thinking skills with ChatGPT-Powered activities in Chinese language classrooms. International Journal of Chinese Language Teaching. 5(1). 47–73.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Jones, R., & Hafner, C. (2022). Understanding digital literacies: A practical introduction. Routledge.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Kim, S., Shim, J., & Shim, J. (2023). A study on the utilization of OpenAI ChatGPT as a second language learning tool. Journal of Multimedia Information System, 10(1), 79–88. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Knoth, N., Tolzin, A., Janson, A., & Leimeister, J. M. (2024). AI literacy and its implications for prompt engineering strategies. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 6, 100225. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Kohnke, L., Moorhouse, B. L., & Zou, D. (2023). Exploring generative artificial intelligence preparedness among university language instructors: A case study. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 5, 100156. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Krashen, S. D. (1991, March). The input hypothesis: An update. Paper presented at the Georgetown University Round Table on Languages and Linguistics, Washington, DC.
Kurzweil, R. (1990). The age of intelligent machines. The MIT Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Lai, V. D., Ngo, N. T., Veyseh, A. P. B., Man, H., Dernoncourt, F., Bui, T., & Nguyen, T. H. (2023). ChatGPT beyond English: Towards a comprehensive evaluation of large language models in multilingual learning. arXiv preprint arXiv:2304.05613. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Lantolf, J. P. (2011). The sociocultural approach to second language acquisition: Sociocultural theory, second language acquisition, and artificial L2 development. In D. Atkinson (Ed.), Alternative approaches to second language acquisition (pp. 24–47). London: Routledge.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Law, L. (2024). Application of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in language teaching and learning: A scoping literature review. Computers and Education Open, 6, 100174. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Lee, J. H., Shin, D., & Noh, W. (2023). Artificial intelligence-based content generator technology for young English-as-a-foreign-language learners’ reading enjoyment. RELC Journal, 54(2), 508–516. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Li, Z., Shi, Y., Liu, Z., Yang, F., Liu, N., & Du, M. (2024). Quantifying multilingual performance of large language models across languages. arXiv preprint arXiv:2404.11553.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Liu, F., Jiang, Y., Lai, C., & Jin, T. (2024). Teacher engagement with automated text simplification for differentiated instruction. Language Learning & Technology, 28(2), 163–182. [URL]
Liu, G., & Ma, C. (2024). Measuring EFL learners’ use of ChatGPT in informal digital learning of English based on the technology acceptance model. Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, 18(2), 125–138. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Loewen, S. (2020). Introduction to instructed second language acquisition (2nd ed.). Routledge. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Loewen, S., & Sato, M. (2018). Interaction and instructed second language acquisition. Language Teaching, 51(3), 285–329. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Long, M. H. (1980). Input, interaction, and second language acquisition (Doctoral dissertation). University of California, Los Angeles.
Lu, Q., Qiu, B., Ding, L., Xie, L., Tao, D. (2023). Error analysis prompting enables human-like translation evaluation in large language models: A case study on chatgpt. arXiv preprint arXiv:2303.13809. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
McCarthy, J., Minsky, M. L., Rochester, N., & Shannon, C. E. (1955). A proposal for the Dartmouth summer research project on artificial intelligence. AI Magazine, 27(4), 12–14.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Mizumoto, A., & Eguchi, M. (2023). Exploring the potential of using an AI language model for automated essay scoring. Research Methods in Applied Linguistics, 2(2), 100050. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Montero-Pérez, M. (2025). The impact of multimodal input tools in instructed second language acquisition (and beyond). In S. Loewen, F. Poole, H. Hwang, & M. D. Coss (Eds.), Technology and Instructed Second Language Acquisition: Connecting Research and Pedagogy (pp. ###-###). John Benjamins.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Naous, T., Ryan, M. J., & Xu, W. (2023). Having beer after prayer? measuring cultural bias in large language models. arXiv preprint arXiv:2305.14456.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Oppenlaender, J., Linder, R., & Silvennoinen, J. (2023). Prompting AI art: An investigation into the creative skill of prompt engineering. [URL]
Overstreet, M. (2022). Writing as extended mind: Recentering cognition, rethinking tool use. Computers and Composition, 63, 102700. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Pfau, A., Polio, C., & Xu, Y. (2023). Using an AI program to assess L2 writing accuracy for research purposes. Research Methods in Applied Linguistics, 2(3). Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Poole, F. (2022, December 13). Using ChatGPT to design language material and exercises. FLTMag. [URL].
Poole, F. & Polio, C. (2023). From sci-fi to the classroom: Implications of AI in task-based writing. Journal on Task-based Language Teaching and Learning, 3(2), 243–272. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Poole, F. J., & Coss, M. D. (2024). Can ChatGPT Reliably and Accurately Apply a Rubric to L2 Writing Assessments? The Devil is in the Prompt (s). Journal of Technology & Chinese Language Teaching, 15(1). Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Reinhardt, J., & Thorne, S. (2019). Digital literacies as emergent multifarious repertoires. In N. Arnold & L. Ducate (Eds.), Engaging language learners in CALL: From theory and research to informed practice (pp. 208–239). Equinox. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Sonsaat-Hegelheimer, S., & Kurt, S. (2024, September 27–28). Generative AI-powered pronunciation practice for L2 English [Conference Presentation]. 2nd Annual Artificial Intelligence Research in Applied Linguistics (AIRiAL) 2024; AI in Education: Empowering Learners & Preparing Educators, New York City, NY.
Tai, T. Y., & Chen, H. H. J. (2024). Improving elementary EFL speaking skills with generative AI chatbots: Exploring individual and paired interactions. Computers & Education, 220, 105112. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Toda Cosi, M. & Poole, F. (in press). Enhancing linguistic interaction with ChatGPT: Proficiency-matching and ecological validity in less commonly taught languages. Calico Journal.
Toffler, A. (1970). Future shock. Random House.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Van Lier, L. (2004). The ecology and semiotics of language learning: A sociocultural perspective. Kluwer. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Vaswani, A., Shazeer, N., Parmar, N., Uszkoreit, J., Jones, L., Gomez, A. N., Kaiser, L., & Polosukhin, I. (2017). Attention is all you need. Advances in Neural Information Processing Systems, 30, 5998–6008.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Vygotsky, L. S. (1981). The instrumental method in psychology. The Concept of Activity in Soviet Psychology, 2(3), 135–143.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Wang, P. (2019). On defining artificial intelligence. Journal of Artificial General Intelligence, 10(2), 1–37. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Warschauer, M. (1998). Electronic literacies: Language, culture, and power in online education. Routledge. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Warschauer, M., Tseng, W., Yim, S., Webster, T., Jacob, S., Du, Q., & Tate, T. (2023). The affordances and contradictions of AI-generated text for writers of English as a second or foreign language. Journal of Second Language Writing, 62, 101071. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Yan, D. (2023). Impact of ChatGPT on learners in a L2 writing practicum: An exploratory investigation. Education and Information Technologies, 28(11), 13943–13967. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Ziegler, N. (2025). Text/Video Chat and other Online Collaboration Tools. In S. Loewen, F. Poole, H. Hwang, & M. D. Coss (Eds.). Technology and Instructed Second Language Acquisition: Connecting Research and Pedagogy (pp. ###-###). John Benjamins.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Cited by (3)

Cited by three other publications

Crosthwaite, Peter & Martin Schweinberger
2025. Corpora and instructed second language acquisition. In Technology and Instructed Second Language Acquisition [Language Learning & Language Teaching, 63], ► pp. 115 ff. DOI logo
Godwin-Jones, Robert
2025. Afterword: Towards sustainable technology use in instructed second language acquisition. In Technology and Instructed Second Language Acquisition [Language Learning & Language Teaching, 63], ► pp. 335 ff. DOI logo
Ziegler, Nicole
2025. Text/video chat and other online collaboration tools. In Technology and Instructed Second Language Acquisition [Language Learning & Language Teaching, 63], ► pp. 271 ff. DOI logo

This list is based on CrossRef data as of 29 november 2025. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.

Mobile Menu Logo with link to supplementary files background Layer 1 prag Twitter_Logo_Blue