Journal Article

World language teachers' reported practices of integrating ChatGPT into instruction: A positioning analysis

Zhang, Meixiu, Li, Mimi, Belpoliti, Flavia, Taha, Gouda

2025

Overview

This qualitative study, drawing on positioning analysis, examines four world language teachers' reported practices of integrating ChatGPT into their instruction. The participants were enrolled in the graduate‐level Applied Linguistics or Spanish Language Teaching program at a public university in the southcentral US. This study addresses two research questions: (1) How did world language teachers position themselves and others in relation to their integration of ChatGPT into teaching? (2) What factors mediated their ChatGPT‐supported instruction? The analyses of interview transcripts and weekly reports revealed that the world language teachers positioned themselves as active agents, assuming dynamic roles vis‐à‐vis ChatGPT (i.e., ChatGPT guide, explorer, manager, and critic), vis‐à‐vis students (i.e., facilitator, moderator, demonstrator, and emotional supporter), and vis‐à‐vis colleagues (i.e., collaborator and expert user). Also, they reported that their practices were mediated by multiple factors, namely unique affordances of ChatGPT, teaching curricula, students' situation/needs, and AI‐mediated age. Our findings underscore the need to provide comprehensive teacher training that equips world language teachers to effectively assume different roles in response to the varying needs that arise in GenAI‐mediated language classrooms.

• Publisher: American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages
• Subject: Applied linguistics / Artificial Intelligence / Case Studies / Chatbots / ChatGPT / Class Activities / Classrooms / Collaboration / Collaborative Writing / Competence / Course Content / Curricula / Data Analysis / Direct Instruction / Educational Assessment / Educational Facilities Improvement / Educational Practices / English (Second Language) / Feedback / Foreign language learning / Generative artificial intelligence / Higher education / Human-computer interaction / Individual Needs / Influence of Technology / Instructional Improvement / Intelligent Tutoring Systems / Language / Language instruction / Language teachers / Lesson Plans / Linguistics / Literature Reviews / Narratives / Positioning / positioning analysis / Professional Identity / Public Colleges / Qualitative research / Researchers / Revision (Written Composition) / Second language learning / Spanish language / Students / Teacher education / teacher positioning / Teachers / Teaching / world language teacher / Writing