Author(s): Izzeddin Dawood Abdurrahman Khalil

Abstract: Artificial Intelligence or "AI", as the boffins call it, is rapidly changing the face of English Language Teaching. And the remarkable developments in generative AI, natural language processing, and intelligent tutoring systems, has opened a whole new world of possibilities for teachers and pupils alike.This systematic review takes stock of the scholarly literature on AI's growing role in ELT, drawing upon peer-reviewed studies published between 2020 and 2026, gathered from such sources as Scopus, Web of Science, ERIC, and Google Scholar, and conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines.The evidence shows that AI brings with it a great many advantages such as personalized learning, adaptive instruction, prompt feedback, and improved assessment across the four key skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking. All the same, certain difficulties remain to be ironed out, namely questions of academic honesty, data privacy, bias built into the machines themselves, inequality in access to technology, and whether teachers are properly equipped to make use of it.The review's conclusion is a reassuring one: AI is most unlikely to do away with the English teacher altogether. Rather, it shall change the nature of the job, as teachers and machines come to work hand in hand. The future of English teaching, then, will be one of cooperation between man and machine, of cleverer methods of assessment, and of a growing need for both teachers and pupils to become well-versed in AI. This review offers critical insights for teachers, policymakers, curriculum designers, and researchers alike.

Keywords: Artificial Intelligence, English Language Teaching, Generative AI, Language Learning, Educational Technology, Personalized Learning

Article Info: Received: 13 May 2026; Received in revised form: 09 Jun 2026; Accepted: 13 Jun 2026; Available online: 17 Jun 2026

DOI: 10.22161/ijels.113.65