Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) tools are transforming the field of language education. Recent studies indicated that English language teachers generally lacked the readiness and skills necessary to effectively and critically integrate these tools into their professional practices. This study employed a mixed-method interventional design to investigate the impact of integrating GenAI tools into a 12-week training course on the development of pre-service English language teachers’ GenAI literacy. 90 pre-service language teachers enrolled in a B.A. in English program at a university in southeastern China were recruited. The participants were divided into an experimental group (n = 45) and a control group (n = 45). Data was collected through a mixed-methods questionnaire and analyzed using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) and thematic analysis. The results demonstrated a significant improvement in the experimental group’s overall GenAI literacy and its five sub-dimensions following the 12-week intervention. The experimental group significantly outperformed the control group in the post-test, as evidenced by their GenAI literacy across all five sub-dimensions (overall GenAI literacy, p < 0.001; technical proficiency, p < 0.001; critical evaluation, p < 0.001; communication proficiency, p < 0.05; creative application, p < 0.001; ethical competence, p < 0.001). This study provides valuable insights for school leaders and program directors to integrate explicit GenAI literacy training into language teacher education programs. It emphasizes the necessity for language educators to engage in ongoing professional development focused on GenAI, ensuring that they stay updated with the latest GenAI advancements and their applications in language education.

Previous research has found that content and language integrated learning (CLIL) is an effective method to improve undergraduate students’ English reading performance. Little is known, however, about the underlying mechanisms of such this association or factors that might strengthen or weaken these processes. Therefore, based on the framework of action research, the current study aimed to fill this gap by scrutinizing the changes in and effects of academic vocabulary size (AVS), academic self-efficacy (ASE), and learning motivation (LM) on English reading performance over a 16-week semester. A total of 202 Chinese undergraduate students (majoring in English Education) participated in this study. The results revealed the following major findings: (1) students’ AVS, ASE, LM, and English reading performance were significantly improved through CLIL implementation during this semester, (2) AVS, ASE, LM, and English reading performance were positively related to each other, (3) AVS significantly predicted students’ English reading performance, (4) ASE and LM partially mediated the effect of AVS on English reading performance. These findings contribute to the understanding of the impact of CLIL on English reading performance. Limitations and implications for educational practices are discussed.