The Use of AI by EFL Teachers to Address Individual Differences: A Case Study

Abstract

With the development of the advanced forms of artificial intelligence (AI) such as intelligent tutoring systems (ITSs), ChatGPT, and large language models (LLMs), education, including foreign language education, has witnessed an upheaval of interests, discussions, and practices in how these new forms of development can be utilized in favor of both learners and teachers. The present chapter has examined some real experiences of EFL teachers in using an advanced of AI, i.e. ChatGPT in helping learners with particular individual differences. Interviews and journals were used to gather data. The results indicated that the teacher participants used ChatGPT to address intrinsic/extrinsic motivations, introversion, age, autonomy, communicative and learning strategies and emotions and feelings. AI worked as an assistant to teachers and AI-generated solutions, content and exercises were helpful to teachers to take care of individual differences in leaners, which would have been otherwise a laborious or even impossible task for teachers due to lack of enough time and energy.