GenAI in SLA: A Historical, Interactionist, and Ethical Integration Review (2016–2026)

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 2:15 pm - Gold 2
  In Roundtable Session: Access, Identity, and Equity in Technology-Mediated Language Learning

Abstract

Abstract
This systematic review, from 2016 to 2026, combines empirical evidence concerning generative AI intervention applications, including ChatGPT, within Second Language Acquisition (SLA) research. It fulfills three crucial gaps: limited research concerning interactionist mechanisms within SLA, the moderation by socioeconomic status (SES), and mediation regarding AI literacy's ethical risks. Informed by Sociocultural Theory, Interactionist SLA Hypotheses, and Critical Algorithm Studies, the review clarifies how certain interactionist mechanisms and formally instructed education within AI literacy lead to long-lasting linguistic achievement and learner autonomy, and how SES impacts balanced AI outcomes. The findings present significant theoretical contribution and distinctive practice-related implications regarding the balanced and ethical integration of generative AI within diverse SLA environments.

Author

• shuang yang, Shu De International High School