Abstract
The use of Artificial Intelligence tools within language learning environments is an emerging trend in educational settings. Existing literature highlights the potential of AI applications to enhance English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners' competencies, such as listening, speaking, vocabulary acquisition, and cross-cultural understanding. Despite these promising outcomes, systematic reviews exploring how AI technologies contribute to the development of critical thinking in EFL students remain limited. This systematic review examines the contributions of AI tool implementation to the development of critical thinking in EFL students, identifying the methodologies used and findings obtained across different educational contexts. Articles from major databases including ERIC, Scopus, Scielo, WOS, and Science Direct were screened by reviewing titles, abstracts, and full texts. Of the 1,319 articles analysed, only 30 published between 2015 and 2024 were found relevant to the research topic. The findings suggest the potential of AI tools in fostering critical thinking when thoughtfully integrated with pedagogical strategies in the EFL classroom. Future research could explore the long-term effects of AI tools on critical thinking and address ethical considerations and cultural sensitivities that may affect fair and inclusive integration.
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