Author: Bo‘riyeva, Go‘zal To‘ychi qizi

Annotation: The rapid diffusion of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) into everyday teaching practice has outpaced the professional preparation of language teachers. This article examines what AI literacy means for teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL) and how it can be developed systematically rather than incidentally. Through a comparative analysis of five influential competency frameworks and a synthesis of empirical studies published between 2023 and 2026, the article argues that generic AI literacy is insufficient for language teaching, because the object of instruction — language itself — is also the medium in which generative models operate. A four-domain model of EFL teachers’ GenAI literacy is proposed, comprising technical-functional, pedagogical-methodological, critical-evaluative and ethical-professional competence, and each domain is specified through observable indicators. The article further sets out a three-stage professional development pathway aligned with the progression levels of the UNESCO AI competency framework for teachers, and maps the principal risks of unprepared adoption onto concrete pedagogical safeguards. The conclusions are analytical rather than statistical and are intended to inform teacher-education curricula and in-service training programmes.

Keywords: AI literacy, generative artificial intelligence, EFL teachers, English language teaching, teacher professional development, TPACK, UNESCO competency framework, prompt engineering, critical evaluation, assessment literacy.

Pages in journal: 187 - 197