Beyond Flashcards: Integrating Generative AI into Vocabulary Teaching in Secondary EFL Classrooms: A Practical Pedagogical Framework

Abstract

Vocabulary is central to learning a second language, but teaching it can be challenging when students have different levels of English, learning needs and opportunities to practise. Word lists and translation exercises can help introduce new items, yet students also need to meet words in context, recall them later and use them in their own communication. Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) gives teachers another way to prepare varied and adaptable vocabulary activities. This article considers how GenAI might be used in secondary English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms, especially with learners in Grades 7–9. Drawing on literature about vocabulary learning, technology-supported language teaching and AI in education, it presents a practical framework with five connected stages: presentation, contextualisation, retrieval practice, recycling and productive use. Examples and sample prompts show how teachers can use AI to prepare short texts, quizzes, differentiated exercises, dialogues and writing tasks. The article also considers important concerns, including inaccurate AI-generated content, overreliance on AI, student privacy and unequal access to technology. It argues that AI is most useful when teachers choose activities for clear learning purposes, check the materials carefully and guide students in using them responsibly. The framework is intended as practical guidance, not as a tested intervention or a report of original classroom findings.