AI as a Reflective Partner in English Language Teaching: A Conceptual Perspective

Generative artificial intelligence has gained popularity in English language teaching, being employed in lesson planning, material generation, feedback, assessment, and personalisation in learning. However, most discussions concerning AI use in ELT focus exclusively on its ability to automate content creation and overlook the possibility of using AI for fostering critical reflection among teachers. Conceptually, this paper considers the potential of AI to serve as a reflective partner for teachers of English language. It presents an AI-enabled reflective partnership model based on the theoretical background of reflective practice, teacher cognition, and collaborative work of humans and machines. The proposed framework consists of five interrelated dimensions: pedagogical experience; externalisation of classroom issues; AI-aided exploration of alternative options; human evaluation based on contextual and ethical judgement; and pedagogically informed actions leading to further reflection. Within the framework suggested, the teacher serves as the main decision-maker, whereas the machine is utilised for asking questions, providing alternative explanations, and generating strategies. Moreover, the paper identifies possibilities and problems associated with lesson planning, feedback, assessment, differentiation, professional development, inaccuracy, bias, privacy, over-reliance on technology, and digital inequality. . Hence, AI is educationally most significant in terms of fostering reflection, retaining teacher agency and contextually-driven improvement in English language teaching. In sum, the proposed framework provides the conceptual perspective for responsible teacher development and empirical studies in the future