Exploring ELT Instructors’ Readiness for AI Integration: A Qualitative Study of Student Perceptions in Malaysian Higher Education

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in English Language Teaching (ELT) offerstransformative potential, particularly through tools like ChatGPT, which support personalisedinstruction and interactive learning. However, successful implementation relies on instructors’readiness to adopt and utilise such technologies effectively. This study investigates Malaysian highereducation students’ perceptions of their ELT instructors’ preparedness for AI integration. Adopting aqualitative approach, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 30 purposivelyselected undergraduates. Thematic analysis revealed four key areas: disparities in instructor readiness,inconsistent AI tool usage, technical and infrastructural barriers, and student concerns regardingoverreliance and ethical use. The findings underscore the urgent need for structured professionaldevelopment, institutional support, and pedagogically sound frameworks to ensure meaningful AIintegration. This study contributes to the discourse on AI in education by centering learnerperspectives and offering actionable