Building an Academic English Teachers' Community of Practice: Collaboration and Innovation in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

Against the backdrop of the continuous advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technology and its increasing integration into the field of education, academic English teachers are facing unprecedented opportunities and challenges.This paper aims to explore the construction of an academic English teachers’ community of practice supported by AI, in order to facilitate collaboration and knowledge sharing among teachers, and to enhance teaching effectiveness. Firstly, it analyzes the current application of AI technology in academic English teaching and its impact on teachers’ professional development. Subsequently, through case studies, it explores the role of the community of practice in promoting teacher collaboration, resource sharing, and teaching innovation. The study found that the community of practice can provide a platform for teachers to exchange ideas, solve teaching problems through collective wisdom, jointly develop teaching resources, and use AI technology to optimize teaching strategies. The article proposes strategies for building an open, collaborative, and shared community of practice for academic English teachers, including establishing open communication mechanisms, promoting deep integration of technology and teaching, encouraging teacher participation in community activities, etc., to achieve professional growth of teachers and enhancement of teaching quality. This paper concludes by proposing an evaluation strategy system for the community of practice among academic English teachers in the era of AI.

Biggs, J. (2003). Teaching for quality learning at university: What the student does. London: Society for Research into Higher Education & Open University Press.

Chen, Q., & Zhao, Y. (2018). Assessment of teaching innovation and student engagement in the context of AI. Journal of Education and Technology, 15(2), 34-45.

Dillenbourg, P. (2018). The integration of AI technology in English for academic purposes teaching. International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education, 28(1), 56-72.

He, W., et al. (2023). Facilitating teacher collaboration through community engagement: Joint course development and student research project guidance. International Journal of Educational Research and Development, 14(3), 254-267.

Huang, R., & Yang, K. (2019). Establishing a continuous professional development support system. Journal of Teacher Education and Development, 21(3), 123-135.

Kennedy, D., et al. (2017). Teachers’ knowledge structures and the mastery of new skills for AI collaboration. Educational Technology & Society, 20(1), 123-137.

Knox, J. (2017). Encouraging teacher participation in community activities. Educational Research Journal, 34(4), 78-90.

Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1991). Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Qin, D., & Zhang, L. X. (2020). Teacher professional development in the AI era. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 23(1), 30-42.

Qiu, Y., & Li, Z. (2023). The role of communities of practice in enhancing professional abilities and teaching method innovation among English for Academic Purposes teachers. Journal of Language Teaching and Learning, 15(2), 87-102.

Song, L., & Xu, L. (2018). The transformation and challenges of English for academic purposes teachers’ roles in the AI era. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 9(2), 201-213.

Su, H. L., & Zhang, J. W. (2024). The role of communities of practice in teachers’ professional development. Journal of Educational Innovation, 17(1), 85-97.

Tseng, V. (2018). Establishing an assessment and feedback mechanism. Journal of Educational Assessment, 25(3), 112-124.

Wang, Y., et al. (2024). Facilitating teaching innovation with AI technology. Journal of Educational Technology, 19(4), 205-217.

Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of practice: Learning, meaning, and identity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Wenger-Trayner, B., & Wenger-Trayner, E. (2015). Communities of practice: A brief introduction. Etienne Wenger Trilogy, 1(1), 1-8.

Warschauer, M. (2020). The current state of English for academic purposes teaching in the age of AI. Journal of Language and Education, 26(2), 90-102.

Yu, S., & Wang, Q. (2019). AI technology providing personalized learning experiences. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 22(3), 154-166.

Zhang, S. (2023). The importance of English for academic purposes in higher education. Journal of Higher Education Studies, 29(1), 45-57.

Zheng, Y. H., et al. (2024). The application and challenges of AI technology in educational evaluation. Journal of Educational Assessment and Evaluation, 18(2), 67-80.