Original Research Article

Artificial Intelligence and the Changing Patterns of English Language Use: An Applied Linguistic Perspective

ISSN 2979-8582  ·  Article No. 065

Monica Nnenne Okafor (PhD)✉ Innocent Njoku Nweze (PhD)

Publication Details

Publication Date
10/10/2026
Volume / Issue
Vol 1, Issue 5 (2026)
Article No.
065
Journal
British Journal of Contemporary Research
Received
25 Sep 2026
Views
26
Downloads
13
Affiliations

Monica Nnenne Okafor (PhD): School of Languages, Ebonyi State College of Education, Ikwo, Ebonyi State, Nigeria

Innocent Njoku Nweze (PhD): Department of English, Ebonyi State College of Education, Ikwo, Ebonyi State, Nigeria

Abstract

Artificial intelligence is redefining the structure, practice, and evolution of English use in the twenty-first century. Generative AI technologies have been rapidly adopted in various fields as the educational tool of choice, language constructor for professional correspondence and creative writing assistance. Although artificial intelligence has gained increasing attention in the academic community, there is a surprising lack of studies focused on practical implications that center around language use, communication and changing discourse practices, especially from applied linguistic perspectives. This article explores the impact of artificial intelligence on modern English usage, including how it has influenced writing and speaking as well as our vocabulary processes and modes of communication in a digital age. It examines, in particular, how AI opens new avenues for language acquisition and communication, the new linguistic and pedagogical issues that arise with such AI-mediated language production, and what it may mean for future English. A qualitative research design based on documentary analysis, discourse analysis and perspectives of recent academic literature was adopted to enrich the study. The analysis is rooted on the Adaptive Linguistic Ecology Framework (ALEF), which proposes an original theoretical model positing that human linguistic creativity, sociocultural context, and algorithmic intelligence constantly co-evolve to give rise to language. It outlines that although artificial intelligence contributes to higher communicative efficiency, improved accessibility and language learning it also promotes linguistic homogenization and less stylistic diversity. The article, therefore, argues that AI should enhance, not replace, linguistic creativity through human agency, and advocates for language education to embrace AI literacy alongside critical language awareness and the preservation of linguistic diversity in digitally mediated communication.

Keywords

Artificial Intelligence Applied Linguistics English Language Use AI Literacy Adaptive Linguistic Ecology Framework

License

CC BY 4.0

This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License . Free to read, share, and adapt with attribution.

Cite This Article

Monica Nnenne Okafor (PhD), Innocent Njoku Nweze (PhD) (2026). Artificial Intelligence and the Changing Patterns of English Language Use: An Applied Linguistic Perspective. British Journal of Contemporary Research, 1(5), Article 065. https://doi.org/10.67693/BJCR-3SA4W8X7
Monica Nnenne Okafor (PhD). “Artificial Intelligence and the Changing Patterns of English Language Use: An Applied Linguistic Perspective.” British Journal of Contemporary Research, vol. 1, no. 5, 2026.
Monica Nnenne Okafor (PhD). “Artificial Intelligence and the Changing Patterns of English Language Use: An Applied Linguistic Perspective.” British Journal of Contemporary Research 1, no. 5.

Metadata

ISSN 2979-8582
DOI Prefix 10.67693
Tracking ID BEX_SEP_26_217

British Journal of Contemporary Research

Open Access · Peer Reviewed · Published by Bexford Publishing Ltd

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