Generative AI as a Catalyst: Transforming Digital Literacy Practices in English Language Teaching

The increasing integration of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) in English language teaching calls for an immediate and thorough response from language teachers. Employing an exploratory qualitative approach, the study explores how 10 English language instructors at a Chinese university integrate GenAI tools in language teaching through lesson study. Data were collected through classroom observations, recordings of collaborative lesson preparation/reflection sessions, teaching materials, and three rounds of in-depth interviews. Our analysis centres on the transformative impact of GenAI on teachers’ digital literacy practices, conceptualised as doing, meaning, relating, thinking, and “being.” The study contrasted the participants’ new digital literacy practices with their previous practices in various professional practice domains and traced the sustainability of these practices over time. Findings reveal that GenAI catalysed a transformation of teachers’ practices across lesson planning, instruction, and assessment. However, the sustainability of these practices varied due to multiple factors. We argue that sustainable GenAI integration requires viewing digital literacy as a situated social practice shaped by utility and professional risk. The study offers insights for developing collaborative professional development programmes that support teachers’ critical and sustainable engagement with GenAI.