AI-Enhanced English Teaching in Vocational Undergraduate Education: Opportunities, Challenges, and Pedagogical Strategies

DOI: https://doi.org/10.62517/jhve.202516508

Author(s)

Zhouxian Zhu

Affiliation(s)

College of General Education, Chongqing Polytechnic University of Electronic Technology, Chongqing, China

Abstract

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly transforming vocational undergraduate education, reshaping how English is taught, learned, and assessed. English instruction in this context faces the dual task of developing students’ linguistic competence and learning capacity in digital literacy. Integrating AI offers opportunities for personalized learning, adaptive assessment, and immersive language practice, yet also poses challenges in pedagogy, technology, and ethics. This paper examines AI-enhanced English teaching, drawing on recent research and case studies. Key affordances include adaptive learning systems, automated feedback, and vocationally relevant language practice, while barriers involve limited digital infrastructure, teachers’ AI literacy, and concerns over data privacy and equity. To address these issues, a human–AI collaborative framework is proposed, emphasizing competence-oriented, task-based, and ethically guided teaching. Findings highlight that effective AI integration requires rethinking the pedagogical ecosystem, with teachers evolving from knowledge transmitters to learning facilitators and AI collaborators. Sustainable implementation depends on coordinated teacher training, curriculum redesign, ethical governance, and institutional support. This study contributes to the discourse on digital transformation in vocational education and offers practical strategies for optimizing AI-assisted English instruction under the “smart vocational education” framework.

Keywords

Artificial Intelligence; Vocational Undergraduate Education; Digital Literacy; English Teaching, Human–AI Collaboration; Pedagogy

References

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