Global EFL Curriculum Reform, Teacher Preparation, and Professional Development in the Age of GenAI

This book reviews the history of curriculum reform in countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, South America, and the Middle East. It identifies gaps between the pedagogical requirements of the EFL K-12 school curriculum and the curriculum of teacher preparation programs. The book further examines the forms of professional development (PD) available to EFL educators to address these gaps and explores how generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools can be leveraged to support both in-service teacher professional development and teacher preparation.

Many countries mandate curriculum reform aligned with current theory, research, and practice in second language teaching and learning, yet teacher education curricula may lag behind, leaving teachers insufficiently prepared to implement current standards. In-service teachers are therefore required to participate in conventional PD, which may provide only limited support for implementing current curriculum standards. However, the emergence of GenAI creates new possibilities for PD, offering an innovative means of supporting curriculum implementation and improving English instruction.

This book examines how non-English-speaking countries can reimagine English education in response to contemporary curriculum standards; current theory, research, and practice in second language teaching; and recent developments in GenAI. As a valuable resource for teacher educators, undergraduate and graduate students in EFL and ESL teacher education, policymakers, curriculum developers’, and administrators, the book is particularly well suited for courses in curriculum development, second language teaching methodology, educational leadership, and GenAI-enhanced language teaching.