DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE EDUCATION: RETHINKING THE FUTURE OF HUMANISTIC STUDIES THROUGH AI- ASSISTED ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING

Abstract

Digital transformation is reshaping not only technological infrastructures but also the very foundations of humanistic inquiry, including how languages, literatures, and cultures are studied and taught. This article examines foreign language education, and English language teaching (ELT) in particular, as a humanistic discipline undergoing rapid digital change through the emergence of AI-based tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, Duolingo, Gamma, and Kimi. Drawing on classroom teaching experience, the article discusses how these technologies affect learner autonomy, communicative competence, and the teacher-student relationship, and reflects on what digital transformation means for the future of humanistic studies more broadly. The article argues that preserving humanistic values - critical thinking, cultural sensitivity, and genuine interpersonal interaction - must remain central as language education continues to digitalize.