Discourse, Power, and Pedagogy in AI and Human-Designed EFL Lesson Plans: A CLIL and Systemic Functional Linguistic Perspective

The integration of generative artificial intelligence (GAI) into English language teaching (ELT) raises important questions about how AI-generated lesson plans shape pedagogy, interaction, and ideology compared to human-designed materials. This study examines how ChatGPT-generated lesson plans converge with or diverge from those published by the British Council, with particular attention to teacher and learner roles, classroom power dynamics, and pedagogical scaffolding. A triadic framework combining systemic functional linguistics (SFL), critical discourse analysis (CDA), and content and language integrated learning (CLIL) was applied to three British Council lesson plans and three thematically matched ChatGPT outputs. Findings reveal that both sets of plans emphasize material processes to promote task-based engagement, but the British Council lessons integrate verbal and mental processes more consistently, supporting dialogic interaction and reflective thinking. By contrast, ChatGPT outputs display a narrower range of processes and predominantly teacher-centered roles, offering procedural clarity but fewer opportunities for learner autonomy and content–language integration. CLIL-based analysis further shows that the British Council lessons align more robustly with higher-order thinking, authentic communication, and cultural engagement, whereas ChatGPT-generated lessons provide only partial alignment. The study concludes that although AI can efficiently generate structured EFL lessons, its pedagogical value emerges most fully through teacher mediation. Combining insights from SFL, CDA, and CLIL, the research highlights how educators can critically evaluate and refine AI-generated plans to ensure they support dialogic, equitable, and learner-centered instruction. These findings have implications for teacher agency, critical AI adoption, and the design of best practices for responsible integration of GAI into ELT.