An Overview of Artificial Intelligence Integration in English Teaching and Learning

In Australia, there is a large number of English learners, including EAL/D students in school, adult migrants and international students. This heterogeneous learner population makes English language education a strategically important yet increasing complex sector. The field now faces unprecedented challenges and opportunities arising from the emergence and rapid evolution of Artificial Intelligence, particularly generative AI (GenAI), which has fundamentally transformed pedagogical approaches and learning practices. Against this background, this paper aims to provide an overview of AI in English language teaching. To achieve this, the paper first distinguishes between traditional AI and generative AI. It then describes how AI is applied in education--particularly English language teaching--and introduces common AI tool used in this field. The synchronous, interactive and individualised nature of language learning makes AI particularly valuable in this domain, with research indicating that language learning represents the most dominant field for AI application in education. Therefore, the analysis critically examines the opportunities and challenges AI presents and describes the implications for the future trajectory of English language education. By addressing these dimensions, it contributes to informed discourse on AI integration in English language teaching.