Biography
Biography pending.
Conference contributions 1
CAN AI TEACH PRAGMATICS? ALGERIAN EFL TEACHERS' PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR ROLE IN DEVELOPING LEARNERS' PRAGMATIC COMPETECE
The emergence of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools and their evolving integration into education has reshaped the vision of language learning. AI chatbots such as ChatGpt have been seen as facilitating tools that boost the learning process as they provide learners with immediate access to explanations, feedbacks, demonstrations, and communication opportunities. While the primary focus of previous investigations on AI and language learning have been highlighting its role with teaching grammar, vocabulary, and speaking and writing skills, its potential impact on learners' pragmatic competence remains underexplored. Pragmatic competence that centers on language in context emphasizes both its appropriate use and interpretation, and it has traditionally been requiring human guidance and cultural awareness. This study investigates Algerian EFL teachers' perceptions of the contribution of AI tools in pragmatic instruction and explores the potential influence of these digital tools on teachers' professional identity. In addition, this research examines whether EFL teachers perceive AI as a supportive tool or as a threat to their position in improving students' pragmatic competence. A perception-oriented qualitative design will be adopted for this investigation. Semi-structured interviews with Algerian EFL teachers from different higher education institutions will be conducted to collect the research data, which will then be analyzed thematically. The anticipated findings suggest that participants will consider the effectiveness of AI tools in developing students' pragmatic competence through providing relevant examples and interactive scenarios while still emphasizing the role of educators in contextualizing meanings, illuminating sociocultural norms, and explaining speakers' implied intentions. This study is also expected to shed light on the impact of emerging AI tools on reshaping teacher identity beyond mere pedagogical expertise. The findings may contribute not only to teacher preparation in the digital era, but also to current debates on the ethical integration of AI into academia.