Bibliometric and Content Analysis The Role and Future Potential of Artificial Intelligence in Language Learning

Abstract

The rise of artificial intelligence is bringing more and more changes to the field of foreign language learning. The free version of ChatGPT was released in 2022, marking the beginning of a complete change of direction, but the real breakthrough in language technology came with the introduction of GPT-4 in 2023. This progressive development calls for an examination of recent advancements in the field of research. The aim of this study is to provide an overview of these changes based on a bibliometric analysis of scientific papers published between 2022 and 2024. The analysis, conducted using the Scopus database, highlights the publication trends of this period, the most productive authors, institutions, countries, journals, the network of international collaborations, the most cited studies, and reveals the internal structure of the field and popular patterns through keyword co-occurrence analysis. It points out that scientific papers dealing with theory and pedagogical practice have mainly focused on developing writing skills and speaking skills among the language skills and contents. The main areas of current research are writing skills with ChatGPT and automated text evaluation, and the role of artificial intelligence in speaking skills and breaking communication barriers. The clear dominance of Asia, especially China, due to the different cultural backgrounds and differences in education systems also raises the need for European research in order to draw practical lessons adapted to local conditions. A desirable research direction is the integration of insights from previous experiences into pedagogical practices, while considering general language teaching principles across all education levels.