Artificial Intelligence in English Second-Language Acquisition: Roles, Challenges, and Optimization Pathways

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) is extending the range of input, feedback, practice and personalised support for English as a second language learning. AI has been applied widely in language education for automated writing evaluation, chatbot-based interaction, adaptive learning, and instructional assistance, and is now helping to enhance the efficiency of learning and student autonomy. However, the rapid development of AI has also brought about several issues, such as a lack of long-term studies, inconsistent integration into teaching, over-reliance on machine-generated answers, and unresolved ethical problems of privacy, bias and academic integrity. This paper examines the application of artificial intelligence in English as a foreign language learning and explores how to improve it. Based on narrative literature review and conceptual analysis of representative studies in AI-enhanced language education, this paper will collect relevant research results and point out existing deficiencies. According to the above analysis, AI will act as a support for teaching and learning, not a replacement for it. The future direction will be focused on personalised guidance, multimodal learning, stronger empirical validation, and responsible governance.