ChatGPT in Teaching English as a Foreign Language: Teacher and Learner Perspectives

This study investigates ChatGPT as a supplementary tool in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education through surveys of 150 teachers and 350 learners in Asia, Europe and Latin America. Results show that ChatGPT improves language proficiency by providing personalized feedback, conversational fluency (72% of users reported improvement), writing scores by 22% and vocabulary through contextualized practice. Teachers found it useful for lesson planning and administrative tasks. However, challenges such as plagiarism risks (15% of cases), occasional inaccuracies and cultural insensitivities especially in idiomatic and formal language use require ethical guidelines and human oversight. For example, Asian participants noted mismatches between ChatGPT's Western-centric outputs and local communication norms (e.g. informal greetings in formal contexts). Recommendations are to establish clear policies for AI integration, train educators to balance AI tools with traditional methods and prioritize culturally adaptive AI designs. The study suggests a blended approach where ChatGPT complements, not replaces, human instruction, ensuring equity and academic integrity.