Speaker
Description
As artificial intelligence (AI) continues transforming global educational landscapes, its integration into TESOL necessitates multidimensional and context-sensitive inquiry. This study critically examines how English lecturers at the University of Finance – Marketing (UFM), Vietnam, incorporate AI technologies into pedagogical practices, curriculum development, and professional learning. The research engaged all forty-seven English lecturers from the Faculty of Foreign Languages through a mixed-methods approach, employing comprehensive questionnaires, reflective self-assessments, and semi-structured interviews. Anchored in the TPACK framework, the UNESCO AI Competency Framework, and TESOL International standards, the instruments were designed to evaluate key domains: AI-pedagogical integration, curriculum innovation, teacher training, digital-AI competence, ethical considerations, institutional alignment, instructional methodologies, perceived teaching outcomes, and levels of teacher autonomy, identity, and agency. Preliminary findings indicate a moderately high level of AI adoption, with pronounced implementation in writing and speaking instruction. Educators demonstrating stronger digital-AI competencies reported more strategic and confident integration of AI tools. Notably, younger and mid-career lecturers exhibited greater adaptability and responsiveness to technological innovation. Higher professional autonomy and agency levels were associated with deeper alignment between instructional philosophy and AI application. A dynamic interplay was observed among AI competency, autonomy, identity, and agency, collectively shaping how teachers adopt and adapt AI-enhanced practices within TESOL contexts. Despite promising trends, persistent challenges include policy ambiguity, insufficient training, ethical dilemmas, and concerns over preserving professional identity. This study offers critical insights for global TESOL stakeholders seeking to understand the institutional and individual enablers of sustainable and ethical AI integration in multilingual higher education.
Keywords: Artificial Intelligence, TESOL, Language Pedagogy, Curriculum Innovation, Teacher Professional Development, Digital-AI Competence, Teacher Autonomy, Teacher Identity, Teacher Agency, Higher Education in Vietnam
