Blog 2: To integrate or to not integrate AI?

Generative AI is increasingly implemented in language learning due to its ability to provide individualized learning experiences and opportunities to explore language in real-world and virtual contexts (Godwin-Jones, 2023). Yet, many educators are hesitant to integrate the use of AI in the language classroom due to fear of inauthenticity from students and fear of promoting plagiarism.

In classes that I have been taking this semester, we have been discussing integration of AI in language learning classrooms and the ethics and affordances surrounding the matter. I recently came upon this quote that I would like to reflect over:

One can assume that...intelligent text generators, when widely available, will be used by students across all disciplines (Eaton et al., 2021). This raises troubling questions of authenticity, creativity, and attribution. Authorship is shared between humans and machines, making them in essence co-creators. Language educators will face the challenge of assessing such written work, finding appropriate ways to assign credit. As is the case with MT, writing teachers will need to be creative in finding tasks which combine automatic text generation and student effort​. (Godwin-Jones, 2022)

In my opinion, rather than avoiding AI or new innovations in the classroom, educators should get in front of "the issue" and find ways to guide our learners to its ethical use. It is natural to fear the unfamiliar, for this reason I have taken time to educate myself further on the matters and I would encourage others to do the same as well. If we inform learners on how they can use AI to benefit, not replace their language learning experience, we can motivate learners to think critically about why they are using it and how it can be used as a tool to expand rather than hinder their learning.

Of course, I would encourage you to do further research to see how you can use AI to your advantage as an educator and how integration of AI in the classroom can motivate learners and facilitate their learning. Here are some ways that I have thought about incorporating AI in my classroom! The information below is informed by the literature mentioned above:

AI Driven Tools can be used to:

• Provide students with guided linguistic practice

  • Ex. A learner can prompt AI to guide them through drill-based activities, for instance, a learner hoping focus on structured practice of past tense.

• Introduce learners to new vocab

  • Ex. When interacting with AI regarding daily schedules, they may learn more vocabulary regarding schedules such as more days of the week, how to tell time, how to express activities that they do.

• Generate feedback

  • Ex. Learners can ask AI to provide them feedback on writing and targeted suggestions for improvement.

• Expose learners to language use in the real world

  • Ex. Learners can interact with VR or 3D maps to see how the target language is being used in public across the world.

 AI-Driven tools can also be used to help learners with their writing in the L2 by:

As mentioned, I would encourage all educators to familiarize themselves with current tools being integrated into the language classroom. Below are some AI-Driven Tools that I have been exploring lately.

Please try interacting with one of the following platforms. Ask it yourself, in what ways you can integrate AI into the language learning classroom and comment some of your favorite suggestions. I look forward to exploring your suggestions! Happy exploring :)

Google Notebook

ChatGPT

Claude

Perplexity