This month, I had the privilege of attending the Third International Language-For-All Conference at Çukurova University in Adana. The event was supported by the TÜBİTAK 2223-B Grant Program for Organizing Scientific Meetings within the Country. The conference featured distinguished keynote speakers who significantly enriched my understanding of the field.

The theme of this year’s conference, “ELT Evolution: All with AI?” aligned perfectly with my research presentation. I shared the findings of an action research project I conducted last year with volunteer students, exploring the impact of ChatGPT on students’ critical thinking skills and creativity. This research, part of the Action Research for & by Instructors at SCOLA—a professional development strand for instructors led by Kezban Altuntaş Özben—aimed to investigate the mechanisms by which ChatGPT enhances or hinders critical thinking and creativity in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) students. I presented both qualitative and quantitative data collected from my students, offering insights into the outcomes of the study. This experience provided an invaluable opportunity to share my findings with esteemed colleagues in the field.

I would also like to highlight some key insights from the keynote addresses that I found particularly impactful. Dr. Alessia Cogo, Chief Coordinator of the ELT Journal, delivered the first keynote. Her talk centered on critical language pedagogy, emphasizing essential principles such as critical consciousness, dialogue, problem-posing, student-centered learning, and action orientation. She also explored how concepts like English as a Lingua Franca and translanguaging can promote social justice awareness in the classroom.

Following Dr. Cogo, Associate Professor Dr. Emmanuel Keuleers from Tilburg University presented a framework for understanding language as a network structure, grounded in the usage-based approach to language. He introduced formalizations from graph theory and network science, arguing that what we perceive as “language” is fundamentally a product of the network’s structure and its evolution over time.

Dr. Caroline Fell Kurban from MEF University discussed the impact of ChatGPT on higher education. She highlighted how the rapid integration of AI, particularly ChatGPT, is transforming traditional educational practices. She also shared findings from a study conducted at MEF University between December 2022 and August 2023, which examined how ChatGPT is reshaping the roles of students, instructors, and institutions. While the study revealed that ChatGPT enhances learning by providing immediate assistance and personalized support, it also raised concerns about academic integrity and critical thinking.

In addition to the keynote speeches, the concurrent sessions I attended offered valuable insights into the latest practices and challenges in the field. It was an excellent opportunity to observe how other higher education institutions are integrating AI into their systems. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to present my research at such a prestigious conference.