English Language Teaching and AI in Central Asia

Policies, Practices and Prospects

Tendai Charles|Dilafruz Abdumajidova|Nilufar Tillayeva
Emerald
Emerald

This book can be opened with

Glassboxx eBooks and audiobooks can be opened on phones, tablets, iOS and Android devices

Hardback
9781807910891
22 March 2027
£80.00
Available to order on 20 February 2027
eBook (PDF)
9781807910884
01 March 2027
£80.00
Available to order on 30 January 2027
eBook (ePub)
9781807910907
01 March 2027
£80.00
Available to order on 30 January 2027

Note on our eBooks and Audiobooks: you can read our eBooks (ePUB or PDF) and listen to audiobooks on the free Emerald Books app on iOS, Android, and desktop. Or read and listen on Emerald's online reader (ePUB eBooks and audiobooks only). To purchase a digital book you will need to create an account if you don’t already have one. After purchasing you will receive instructions on how to get started.

  • Description
  • Contents
  • About

English Language Teaching and AI in Central Asia explores how English language teaching across Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan is being transformed by rapid technological change and evolving language policies. Bringing together leading scholars and practitioners, this volume examines the intersection of multilingual education, artificial intelligence, and social justice in a region where nation-building and globalisation drive demand for English as a lingua franca.

Through case studies, policy analyses, and theoretical reflections, contributors reveal how AI-powered tools, from adaptive feedback systems to mobile learning apps, are reshaping classroom practices, teacher development, and assessment. Contributors critically address challenges of equity, access, and cultural sensitivity, highlighting the realities faced by educators in both urban and rural contexts.

With chapters on translanguaging, formative assessment, academic integrity, teacher competencies, and inclusive design, English Language Teaching and AI in Central Asia offers actionable insights for educators, policymakers, and researchers worldwide. It positions Central Asia as a vital region for innovative, context-aware TESOL scholarship, making this volume an essential resource for anyone interested in the future of language education in the digital age.

Introduction; Dilafruz Abdumajidova and Nilufar Tillayeva

  • Part I. Policies
  • Chapter 1. Reforming English Language Teaching in Post-Independence Uzbekistan; Dilnoza Dehkanova and Guzal Irgashova
  • Chapter 2. Towards Effective English Language Education in Tajikistan: A Systemic, Pedagogical, and Artificial Intelligence Perspective; Habibullo Mirzozoda
  • Chapter 3. Exploring Stakeholders' Perceptions of the English for Academic Purposes (EAP) Curriculum in a Private University; Abuova Janar Salimovna and Sharifah Intan Sharina Syed-Abdullah
  • Chapter 4. English Teachers’ Attitudes Towards AI Innovation in Kazakhstan: A Mixed-Methods UTAUT2 Integrated Study; Alejandro Acuyo Cespedes, Matthew Gordon Ray Courtney, and Diana Kalemeneva
  • Chapter 5. AI in English Language Teaching in Kazakhstan: A Study of Classroom Practices, Teacher Cognition, and Institutional Outlook; Roza Flyurovna Zhussupova
  • Chapter 6. Integrating AI into English Language Teaching in Kazakhstan: A Case Study of Pedagogical Opportunities, Ethical Concerns, and Teacher Agency; Aizhan Aikenova, Asylkhan Samarkhan, Oxana Kachan, and Olga Bainova
  • Chapter 7. AI and the Transformation of University Work Processes: Faculty Perspectives from a Kazakhstani University; Dinara Akhmetzhanova and Assem Seitkhadyrova
  • Chapter 8. Why PD Doesn’t Transfer: Uzbek EFL Teachers’ Needs and Constraints from Focus Group Evidence; Munisa G. Muhtarova
  • Chapter 9. The Role of AI in Supporting Independent Learning and Continuous Professional Development of School English Teachers; Saodat Erkaboyeva
  • Part II. Practices
  • Chapter 10. “It is not only About Generating a Text; It is also About a Sense of Belonging”: Students’ Use of AI Assistants in Academic Writing; Zhanel Zakirova
  • Chapter 11. The Effectiveness and Challenges of AI-Supported IELTS Writing Instruction Among Uzbek Secondary School Learners; Guzal Mirzayeva and Dilnoza Boymirzayeva
  • Chapter 12. The Role of AI Tools in Enhancing Literary Reading and Interpretation Skills Among EFL Learners in Uzbekistan; Dilnoza Boymirzayeva, Guzal Mirzayeva, and Azamat Akhmedjanov
  • Chapter 13. Lost in the Hidden Message: Enhancing Inferential Listening Skills Through AI-Supported Context-Based Tasks in an Uzbek EFL Classroom; Elena Azimjonova
  • Chapter 14. Insights from EAP Learners’ Vocabulary Levels and Strategies: Implications for AI-Assisted Vocabulary Instruction; Iroda Saydazimova, Maftuna Artikova Abdulpattoyevna, and Ulugbek Nurmukhamedov
  • Chapter 15. Collaborative Storytelling as a Path to Vocabulary Retention: The Narrative Story Chain Technique in EFL Classrooms; Ra’noxon Hikmatova
  • Chapter 16. The AI-Mediated Landscape: Teaching Business Communication in Kazakhstan’s Multilingual and Multicultural University Classroom; Maganat Shegebayev
  • Part III. Prospects
  • Chapter 17. Human-Centred AI Pedagogy in Uzbekistani EFL: AI as a Mediational Artefact versus Teachers as Sociocultural Mediators; Jamola Urunbaeva
  • Chapter 18. Emotional Intelligence as a Foundation for Human-Centred AI Use in English Language Teaching in Central Asia; Shoira Sharipova
  • Chapter 19. AI-Ready Alternative Assessment in Uzbek Pre-service ELT Teacher Education; Maftuna Artikova Abdulpattoyevna and Sedigheh Shakib
  • Chapter 20. From Answer Machines to Thinking Partners: Problem-Posing Pedagogy for AI-Engaged Uzbekistan Classrooms; Arturo Morales Tenorio and Deniza Alieva
  • Conclusion; Tendai Charles

Tendai Charles is an Assistant Professor of Education at the British University in Dubai, and Director of the Centre for Research in Digital Education. He specialises in second language acquisition and technology-enhanced learning. He is committed to advancing teacher professional development across the MENA and Central Asian regions.

Dilafruz Abdumajidova is an Associate Professor in the MA TESOL Program at Webster University in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. She is a highly experienced educator who specialises in culturally responsive pedagogy, language assessment, and educational technology.

Nilufar Tillayeva is an Adjunct Professor at Webster University in Tashkent and the Education Program Leader at the National Pedagogical University of Uzbekistan. A specialised in EAP, her research interests include second-language writing, critical thinking, and learner-centred language teaching.