Unless you've been completely out of the loop for the past year, chances are you've noticed the hype surrounding generative AI. In the realm of language education, where I'm actively involved, a heated debate has emerged regarding its potential. Will it revolutionize our existence, or will it burn it down to the ground?
While my original intention when I set out to write this piece was to simply expand on the possibilities of this incipient technology, I believe it's important to address the fear as well—including the nightmare scenario of learners spawning into lazy, plagiarizing zombies, and teachers being rendered obsolete, as the robot army marches into town and raises the flag.
As far as I know, nobody wants the robot apocalypse, metaphorically or otherwise. But if you’re in the camp that fears AI or are unsure about its impact on language education, allow me to shed some light on why the nightmare scenario might be a wee bit overblown.
Like all the technologies that came before it, AI is a tool—a powerful one at that—but a tool nonetheless. To understand its impact, let’s close the ChatGPT tab and pocket the smartphone to ask ourselves a simple question: Why do humans learn a foreign language? Or in our case as educators, why do we teach them? Because it's in that why where this particular tool or the next one that comes along will have an impact, be it positive or negative.
While you think about it, let's kickstart the discussion by envisioning the following two scenarios.
Scenario 1:
We’re teaching a foreign language to a group of learners.
The goal: to enable these learners to communicate in that language in a meaningful way.
The plan: infusing learners with confidence, a growth mindset, and curiosity for the culture of that language.
To pull it off: we'll need to balance meaningful communication activities with fundamentals in an environment that offers comprehensible input while fostering language acquisition. Not a walk in the park, but possible if that environment involves not only genuine human interaction but has a human leading it.
The reason: we are wired to acquire knowledge and skills from those who are like us (same species) and especially thrive when that someone inspires us. Empathy is the secret sauce here.
The evaluations: engaging, project-based and team-oriented like in the real world, making use of the best tools available
Scenario 2:
We’re teaching a foreign language to a group of learners.
The goal: to get the current batch of learners to pass a certain amount of exams to a certain standard by a certain date before the next batch comes along.
The plan: delivering systematic language instruction following a set curriculum based on the rules of the language and the complexity of its syntax.
To pull it off: learning materials will need to include examples from the real world—maybe even from the same decade if we're lucky.
The reason: humans learners will find this relatable. Go figure.
The evaluations: standardized computer-graded multiple-choice exams based on a set of rubrics determined by a panel of experts who will never meet the learners.
So which scenario do you believe is most threatened by AI?
Yeah, I know, both are a bit out there. Reality is likely somewhere in the middle. But let’s admit it, when you walk into a school or a classroom, it’s not too hard to figure out where things lean, right?
Okay, so now that we've addressed the robot apocalypse, allow me to share a few innovative ways you can leverage AI as an available and effective classroom tool to drive meaningful communication in a language classroom setting:
Interactive Language Activities: Using AI-powered language learning platforms that allow educators to create fun interactive exercises, quizzes, and games tailored to individual learning styles and your educational goals.
Creative Writing Prompts: Utilizing AI to generate creative writing prompts. Learners can then use these prompts to write stories, comedy routines or dialogue scripts, encouraging creativity, teamwork and fun classroom activities.
Multimedia Projects: Assigning multimedia projects where students use AI tools to create videos, podcasts, or presentations in the target language. This encourages teamwork, critical thinking, creativity, and communication skills.
Role-Playing Simulations: Using AI chatbots or virtual reality simulations to create immersive role-playing scenarios. Students can practice conversations in various contexts, such as ordering food at a restaurant, booking a hotel room on Mars, or anything else you can imagine.
Generative image and video creation: Using AI to create images or videos based on prompts and using them as the basis of follow-up discussion and conversation activities. Learners can also edit the images and the videos and remix them in digital storytelling activities.
Virtual Language Tours: Taking students on virtual language tours using AI-driven virtual reality platforms. Exploring famous landmarks, museums, and cultural sites in countries where the target language is spoken, while practicing language skills in a dynamic and immersive environment.
Collaborative Translation Projects: Assigning collaborative translation projects where students work together to translate texts or dialogues from the target language into their native language, and vice versa. AI can assist with translation suggestions and language verification, while students collaborate to ensure accuracy and fluency and discuss nuances.
AI Language Detective Investigations: Challenging students to become language detectives using AI-powered language analysis tools. Students can investigate linguistic mysteries, decipher coded messages, or analyze language usage in media and literature, getting a grip on concepts like tone, style, and format.
And we could go on all day, but you get the picture. AI is not at the center; our students are. As a teacher, the best way to leverage AI as a tool is to learn prompt engineering, which refers to knowing how to ask the AI to give what you’re looking for. There are countless resources available online.
As you get the hang of prompting, you’ll realize that you can ask the AI something and then fine-tune your request until you get what you need or follow it up with another one. AI doesn’t mind. It has all day.
The bottom line is this. AI isn't here to steal our thunder or make us lazy. It's here to amplify the learning experience, push boundaries, and spark curiosity. With the right guidance from educators who understand the tools and their capabilities, the sky's the limit for language learners.
Leveraging AI, I've seen students go from grammar-obsessed parrots to engaged classroom participants. Recently, in a workshop on narrative styles, I challenged learners to flex their creative muscles with AI. Their assignment was to generate a story based on a simple sentence. One group of students had: The boy lost his cat and spent all night looking for it. Based on this sentence, they asked AI to whip up narratives in the style of Jerry Seinfeld, Stephen King, and William Shakespeare. Their job was to analyze the differences in language and style and present the results to their peers. What followed? A whirlwind of language exploration, bundled in a meaningful experience that was hilarious, terrifying and profound. To my surprise, the activity even sparked curiosity in literature and creative writing.
Kinda reminded me of what the late great Ken Robinson said. Curiosity is the engine of achievement.
Stay curious.
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