Artificial Intelligence Literacy in Language Education: Global Trends and Future Directions

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) has rapidly transformed educational practice, particularly in language learning environments where generative AI tools are increasingly used for writing support, feedback, translation, and personalized instruction. Despite this expansion, the concept of AI literacy in language education remains fragmented across disciplines and lacks a comprehensive synthesis of its global development. This study therefore investigates research trends, intellectual structures, emerging themes, and future directions in AI literacy within language education. A systematic literature review integrated with bibliometric analysis was employed using 198 Scopus-indexed publications retrieved in April 2026. Data were analyzed through VOSviewer using publication trend analysis, keyword co-occurrence mapping, overlay visualization, and density visualization. The findings reveal a sharp rise in publication output after 2024, indicating growing scholarly attention following the diffusion of generative AI technologies. Thematic mapping identified four dominant knowledge clusters: teacher readiness and professional development, AI-assisted language learning, generative AI applications in EFL/ESL contexts, and critical AI literacy related to ethics and learner autonomy. Overlay analysis further demonstrates a transition from early tool-adoption studies toward more recent concerns with engagement, pedagogical integration, and responsible AI use. Density analysis shows that while AI literacy and generative AI dominate the literature, assessment models, multilingual contexts, and longitudinal intervention studies remain underdeveloped. The study concludes that AI literacy has evolved into a multidimensional competence central to future language education. These findings provide practical guidance for curriculum design, teacher preparation, and policy development, while offering a research agenda for more inclusive and evidence-based AI integration in language learning.