AI-Enhanced Distance English Teaching: Pre-Service EFL Teachers’ Attitudes and Experiences

Abstract

This study explores pre-service English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers’ attitude towards artificial intelligence (AI) in English language teaching, as well as their experience with AI-enhanced online teaching. A questionnaire survey was conducted with 22 master’s students enrolled the Didactics of Distance English Teaching course at Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, Slovakia in 2024. As part of the course, all participants designed and delivered a micro-teaching activity, which provided a context for integrating AI tools. The survey addressed the following issues: previous training in AI-supported pedagogy, use of AI tools during micro-teaching, perceived effectiveness of such tools, concerns related to AI in education, and perceived balance between benefits and drawbacks of AI in distance English teaching. By addressing these questions, the study contributes to ongoing discussions of AI in teacher education and aims to inform the design of training programs that prepare pre-service EFL teachers for effective AI integration into teaching English language.