New data from EdTech leader The TEFL Institute reveals that more than 70% of newly certified English teachers worldwide now plan lessons with AI co-pilots, and the figure is reshaping a $30bn global language-teaching industry. As classrooms in Tokyo, Riyadh and São Paulo adopt AI-assisted English tuition through platforms like TEFL.AI, educators, unions and ministries are split: is the AI co-teacher the biggest leap forward in language learning since the cassette tape, or the beginning of the end for the human English teacher?

May 27, 2026 — Moe than 7 in 10 newly certified English teachers worldwide are now using AI co-pilots to plan, deliver or grade their lessons, according to new global data released today by The TEFL Institute, a finding that is sparking fierce debate inside ministries of education, teacher unions and classrooms from Tokyo to Riyadh.

About The TEFL Institute

The TEFL Institute of Ireland is a leading Irish provider of accredited Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) qualifications, headquartered in Dublin. The Institute offers internationally recognised, EQF Level 5-aligned courses and has trained tens of thousands of graduates now teaching across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Australia and the Americas. Through its tefl.ai platform, the Institute combines Irish educational heritage with cutting-edge AI-powered learning tools, and remains committed to quality, accessibility and innovation in global English language education.

The Global group, which operates The TEFL Institute, TEFL Institute of Ireland, The English Institute and the AI-powered TEFL.AI platform, says the shift has happened in less than 24 months.

The Numbers Behind the Shift

• 71% of teachers certified in the last 12 months use AI to plan lessons at least weekly (up from 9% in 2024).

• Average lesson-prep time has fallen from 47 minutes to 17 minutes, a 64% reduction.

• 38% year-on-year increase in global demand for qualified English teachers, led by Japan, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Brazil.

• 65% of new graduates now choose online or hybrid roles, up from 41% in 2023.

• 1 in 4 language schools surveyed say they have already reduced traditional lesson-planning hours from teacher contracts.

The Controversy

Teacher representative groups in several countries have raised concerns that AI co-teaching is being used to justify lower pay, larger class sizes and the casualisation of language-teaching contracts. Meanwhile, education ministries in Japan, the UAE and Saudi Arabia are actively piloting AI-assisted English programmes at national scale.

“This is the biggest structural change to language teaching since the cassette tape, and it is happening far faster than regulators are ready for,” said Ian O’Sullivan, Managing Director of The TEFL Institute. “AI is not replacing English teachers. But teachers who use AI are absolutely replacing teachers who don’t. Our job is to make sure the human stays at the centre of the classroom, with proper EQF Level 5 accreditation behind every certified teacher.”

Why It Matters

The global English-language teaching market is estimated at over $30bn and growing. With AI tools now embedded in everything from pronunciation correction to real-time feedback, the question for governments, schools and parents is no longer whether AI belongs in the language classroom, but who sets the standards for how it is used.

This press release has also been published on VRITIMES