Generative Artificial Intelligence in Language Learning: A Review of Selected Journal Publications from 2023 to 2024

Abstract

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) based on large language models (LLMs) represented by ChatGPT-3.5 has ushered in promising tools for foreign language learning and provoked great interest in its application in language learning. This study reviews the empirical literature on the application of GenAI in language learning published on five high-impact journals between 2023 and 2024 since the launch of ChatGPT-3.5. Fourteen articles are selected and further analyzed from the perspective of research contexts, research methods, and research findings. The review reveals that the current research on GenAI application in language learning mainly targets English and language skills including writing and speaking, focuses on higher education learners, and employs mixed methods. Learners generally hold positive attitudes to GenAI-assisted language learning and benefit from GenAI application, while challenges also emerge in this context. Future studies should broaden the research scope by exploring other languages, language skills such as reading and listening, and educational contexts such as elementary education, meanwhile aiming to address these challenges. This study identifies limitations of current research on GenAI-assisted language learning and provides implications for future researchers and practitioners.