BELIAKOVA I., EVDASH V., ZHURAVLEVA N. CUSTOMIZED CHATBOTS IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING: REALITY AND PROSPECTS. LIFELONG EDUCATION: The 21st Century.
2026. Vol. 14. No. 2. DOI: 10.15393/j5.art.2026.12248


Vol. 14. No. 2.

Innovative approaches to lifelong learning
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CUSTOMIZED CHATBOTS IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING: REALITY AND PROSPECTS

BELIAKOVA Irina E.
PhD in Philology, Associate Professor, Associate Professor of the Department of Applied and Theoretical Linguistics
University of Tyumen
(Tyumen, Russian Federation)
i.e.belyakova@utmn.ru
EVDASH Valeria M.
Director of the Center for Foreign Languages and Communication
University of Tyumen
(Tyumen, Russian Federation)
v.m.evdash@utmn.ru
ZHURAVLEVA Nadezhda N.
Deputy Director of the Center for Academic Writing
University of Tyumen
(Tyumen, Russian Federation)
n.n.zhuravleva@utmn.ru
Keywords:
AI tools
chatbots
customized chatbots
EFL educators.		 Abstract: in recent years, AI tools have been actively implemented into the education settings with AI-powered chatbots emerging as one of the most promising tools. This study describes the practice of using customized chatbots among English language teachers at Russian universities, determine their level for competence in creating customized chatbots, identify advantages, disadvantages and ways to overcome them, and predict the prospect of using customized chatbots in the educational process. To achieve this goal, a survey was conducted among 203 Russian university educators to identify benefits and limitations of using chatbots in English classes, factors influencing the motivation for their implementation, and the need for further training to enhance relevant competencies. In addition, an in-depth interview was conducted with three EFL educators who actively integrate customized chatbots into their teaching. Although this study focused on university English Language instructors, the findings can be applied to educators from various academic areas.
Paper submitted on: 12/01/2025; Accepted on: 04/24/2026; Published online on: 06/26/2026.

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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15393/j5.art.2026.12248