Hype, fear, and everything in between: A critical typology of responses to AI and their implications for language teacher education

Abstract

This article proposes a critical typology of five emerging responses to artificial intelligence (AI) in language education, from prohibition and hype to critical engagement, highlighting the assumptions, tensions, and possibilities each orientation embodies. This typology serves as a reflective tool to examine how educators and institutions are engaging with AI and what this means about the priorities shaping language teacher education (LTE). Building on this analysis, the article identifies seven implications for LTE, centred on reasserting pedagogical purpose: rethinking L2 writing, questioning neutrality, developing teacher discernment and transparency, problematising teacher preparedness, and engaging more deeply with digital pedagogy, teacher educator development, and ethical dilemmas. These directions call for sustained inquiry into how LTE can support teachers to navigate AI with clarity, agency, and purpose.