Generative AI as a disrupter of language education

Since the launch of ChatGPT, generative artificial intelligence (genAI) has widely affected society, but the full potential impacts on language education are yet to be felt. Most discourse on genAI in language education views it as a facilitator of existing practice, yet genAI has potential for disruptiveness. Based on the theory of disruptive innovation, this paper looks at three case studies of genAI use in education representing different levels of disruptiveness: the sustaining enhancing innovation of combining genAI and flipped classrooms, the sustaining challenging innovation of genAI-aided active learning, and the disruptive innovation of the teacherless classroom. Applying these models to TESOL, a program to increase the likelihood of genAI use in TESOL being beneficial is proposed.