The current study seeks to illuminate the roles of instructors in prior empirical research conducted in the domestic English education field. It systematically categorizes empirical studies on ChatGPT-based English instructions according to the main roles of instructors and suggests their frequency. In addition to analyzing these roles, further analysis of actual ChatGPT users, school levels, and outcome variables was necessary because these roles are closely tied to specific contexts. The study reviewed 76 previous studies that were conducted in South Korea between 2023 and 2024. These include 66 journal articles, nine master’s theses and one doctoral dissertation. The analysis identified five instructors’ roles: facilitators, technical supporters, resources of feedback, instructional organizers, and language instructors. Facilitators were the most common role found in studies of ChatGPT-based English instructions. Technical supporters, though relatively new, ranked as the second most frequent role. Resources of feedback focused on developing productive skills such as speaking and writing.
Instructional organizers were primarily school teachers rather than university faculty.
Language instructors emphasized grammar even when teaching other written language skills. These findings are expected to give comprehensive educational implications and insights into instructors’ roles when utilizing ChatGPT for English language learning in the Korean EFL context.