The impact of AI on language learning

Charlotte Guest
People sat in a office, one with a VR headset on smiling and gesturing with the other two watching

Recently, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has shown itself to be a useful and breakthrough tool for many things, including language learning. Educators, learners and businesses are constantly seeking effective methods to impart language skills and AI-powered solutions have proved to be invaluable assets in this regard.

The impact of AI on language learning is multifaceted, presenting opportunities as well as challenges for educators, learners and corporate entities. According to a , many institutions say that AI will be instrumental to improving their competitiveness, funding, and innovation.

It is a widely discussed topic nowadays. While it has its advantages, there are also some drawbacks to consider.

The impact of AI on language learning
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Pros

Personalized learning

AI-powered language learning platforms analyze user's strengths, weaknesses, learning pace, and preferences to offer a personalized learning path. This approach enhances engagement and optimizes learning outcomes and goals.

Accessible

These types of applications and programs enable language learners to access lessons, exercises, and tutoring from anywhere, at any time, breaking down barriers and offering flexibility to learners worldwide. It can aid and support students with additional needs, making learning a lot less of an obstacle. For example, condensing/summarising content or tasks in an understandable way or suggesting word alternatives, just to name a few.

Enhanced and immediate feedback

It can provide learners with instantaneous feedback on their pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary usage. This feedback allows learners to identify their mistakes and rectify them promptly, accelerating the learning process. AI can use advanced voice recognition technology to detect the learner's pronunciation and accent to provide accurate feedback.

With real-time analysis, algorithms can identify errors and suggest corrections right away and feedback is personalized.? Based on the level of proficiency, algorithms can provide suggestions that are easy to understand and implement. This means more time to do other things, without worrying about providing or waiting for feedback.

Augmented teaching

AI tools are used to supplement traditional teaching methods. They help teachers create dynamic lesson plans, track student progress and identify areas that require additional attention, enhancing overall teaching effectiveness. This makes teaching more effective and enjoyable for both teachers and students. Plus, it takes some of the pressure off teachers by lightening their workload.

Cons

Lack of human interaction

AI has a significant limitation in language learning as it lacks the ability to provide authentic human interaction. Language acquisition is a complex process that involves cultural nuances and subtle communication cues that AI may not be able to fully comprehend. As a result, the immersive experience may be limited.

We have not yet reached a level where AI is proficient in natural spoken conversation, so its ability to assist in certain language contexts is currently limited. It will no doubt develop over time, but currently, it's not at a developed enough level. There are upcoming experimental conversational tools like , developed by Google, which are great examples of AI-powered conversation simulators.? ?

Plagiarism and overreliance

Excessive reliance on AI-based tools might hinder the development of self-reliance and critical thinking skills in learners. Relying solely on technology and the ability to adapt to diverse real-world linguistic scenarios.?Teachers are also more likely to face the challenge of students submitting AI-generated assignments.

So tools and systems will have to be implemented to check and identify any unoriginal AI-generated content. But this will be a constant process; as AI evolves and improves, so will plagiarism systems; it will likely be a constant race to keep up.?Commonly used like are now incorporating checks for AI-generated content; the company reported that reviewed had been flagged as having its majority content AI-generated.?

Unequal access/resources

There is a concern that not all learners may have equal access to these tools due to technological disparities, which could create a learning divide. While some schools and institutions may have the resources to invest in advanced AI systems and software, others may lack the necessary infrastructure or funding to provide their students with the same level of access.

This could mean that students in less privileged communities or schools may be at a disadvantage, missing out on the benefits of AI-powered learning tools and falling behind their peers who have access to them. Technology typically becomes cheaper over time, due to things like improved manufacturing processes, wider circulation and broader competition but this still may mean less privileged institutions could be left behind, using older or previous-generation tech which may not be as easy to use and learn from.

Privacy and ethics

AI-powered language learning platforms collect a large amount of user data. However, many users are concerned about data privacy, security breaches, and of their personal information. As AI is implemented more heavily into platforms, it will require more data to function effectively. Therefore, advanced security systems must be implemented and kept up to date to ensure that user data is securely protected from potential data breaches.?

As it's integrated more into people's lives and work, countries have begun Implementing AI-related laws to ensure the safe and ethical use of AI in daily life. Similarly, as AI develops, laws will need to constantly develop to keep up to date with technological advancements.?

What about the future?

The field of language learning has a promising future with the advancement of AI. Below are some potential predictions for the not-so-far-away future:

Advancements in natural language processing (NLP)

?will likely continue to advance, allowing AI systems to better understand, interpret, and generate human language. Helping it to understand the subtleties of human emotion. This will result in more advanced language learning applications with contextual understanding and nuanced feedback.

Enhanced multilingual capabilities

As technology advances, AI-driven language learning platforms are becoming increasingly popular. These platforms are now being designed to offer greater support for a wide range of languages, catering to the diverse linguistic needs of individuals worldwide. This will enable more people to access quality language education, regardless of their location or background.

With the help of these platforms, language learners could benefit from personalized and immersive learning experiences that are tailored to their unique needs and preferences.

Greater integration of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR)

VR and AR with AI will revolutionize the way we learn languages. This cutting-edge technology will create highly immersive environments that simulate real-life scenarios, allowing learners to practice their language skills in a safe and controlled environment. Mondly by 色猫AV is a great example of using this kind of technology in language learning with their and apps.?

One example is that students could use virtual reality to travel to a foreign country and communicate with native speakers in real time. Easily ordering food from local restaurants or navigating through the city, all within the virtual reality platform. This type of experiential learning could significantly enhance cultural understanding, improve communication skills, and boost language proficiency, all in the comfort of home, school, or even the workplace.

With the increasing affordability and accessibility of such technologies, it is expected that such learning experiences will become more common. There are already VR with AI-controlled characters to produce more realistic and expanded responses to conversations, rather than responses being limited by a select few pre-programmed choices and getting the same few responses. This could also expand to language learning games/simulations.?

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The impact of AI on language learning is unquestionably transformative. It offers personalized, accessible, and efficient learning experiences. However, there are challenges such as the lack of human interaction and data privacy concerns. Therefore, we need to maintain a balanced approach while leveraging AI for language education.

As technology evolves, it's crucial to harness its potential while preserving the essence of authentic language acquisition and cultural understanding. The future promises exciting advancements that will further revolutionize language learning through AI integration.?

Check out how we use AI here at 色猫AV

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  • Children sat at desks in a classroom, with one in the middle smiling with her hand up

    Teaching young learners: all just fun and games?

    By Jill Leighton
    Reading time: 5 minutes

    We want lots of fun in our lessons, with a good balance of activities and games with strong educational value. But in my opinion, today’s young learners need more than just fun and games to stay motivated. Fun and games can quickly become meaningless and boring for some students.

    How do we create fun and engaging lessons for young learners aged 6-14?

    • Have a strong relationship with your students. Know about their natural talents, their weaker points and where they are in their development.
    • Encourage them to be active learners and engage them in learning that is meaningful to all of them. E.g. through project work.
    • Provide opportunities for students to use technology and develop success skills. E.g. collaboration, communication, critical thinking, creativity and self-learning.

    Most teachers agree that we have to assume the responsibility of preparing students for life as well as helping them to acquire a language – and this is what I aim to demonstrate in this blog. Using , I want to demonstrate how you can learn more about your students and care for individual needs in one classroom.

    The students will also learn about themselves and their classmates. They will acquire vocabulary and language (at their level) in a dynamic way and create a project to explore their interests and demonstrate their talents. They will use technology and develop their success skills. Assessment will be fun and engaging. I hope you will be able to adapt the ideas and put them into practice with children aged 6-14.

    Howard Gardner’s Model of Multiple Intelligences

    prompts us to ask: How is this child intelligent? He identified eight different types of intelligence which guide the way students learn:

    • Verbal-Linguistic Intelligence (Word Smart)
    • Logical-Mathematical Intelligence (Maths Smart)
    • Spatial Intelligence (Picture Smart)
    • Musical Intelligence (Music Smart)
    • Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence (Body Smart)
    • Naturalistic-Environmentalist Intelligence (Nature Smart)
    • Interpersonal Intelligence (People Smart)
    • Intrapersonal Intelligence (Self-Smart)
    • (He later went on to identify Existential Intelligence – Life Smart, and Pedagogical Intelligence -Teacher Smart)

    Lesson 1: Outline the student’s learning goals

    Explain to the students that they are going to learn about Howard Gardner’s Model of Multiple Intelligences and that you want them to achieve learning goals on completion of the project. Write the goals on a poster and discuss them with your students. Take a digital photo of the poster to use during the assessment.

    Student learning goals – you will be able to:

    • Identify different intelligences and what they mean. Name eight different intelligences you have
    • Communicate ideas clearly through a project to demonstrate your talents and interests
    • Use your success skills more effectively.

    Tip: Video parts of lesson 1, especially discussion of the learning goals, to use as part-assessment and reflection on completion of the project.

    What do you know about the Multiple Intelligences? How are you smart?

    • Ask children what they know about multiple intelligences. Teach key language and vocabulary as necessary, depending on level.
    • Ask, “What does it mean be intelligent?” (They will probably say, good grades, be good at maths, English, reading, writing, computers...)
    • Tell them being intelligent or smart (get the younger children to repeat the word smart several times) isn’t only about getting good grades. Ask them to think of more ways to be smart.
    • Elicit the eight ways to be smart according to Gardner. (You may need to mime). E.g. mime playing the piano or clap a rhythm to elicit Music Smart.
    • Discuss what the different intelligences mean. (E.g. Word Smart (Linguistic Intelligence): you like reading, writing or speaking, you are probably good at languages…)
    • Teach career vocabulary associated with the different intelligences. (E.g. Word Smart: journalist, teacher, lawyer, editor, TV announcer, web editor.)

    Lesson 2: Find out your smarts quiz

    Tell students they are going to do a quiz to discover how they are smart. Model each stage of the activity and do the quiz with them to find out about your own strengths. Give each student a piece of paper.

    • Take your paper and show the students how to fold it into eight sections, then unfold it and draw lines along the folds to make a grid.
    • Write the different smarts in each section. (Use small handwriting to leave room to illustrate each smart with a picture).
    • Give a picture dictation to illustrate each smart. Here are some examples:

    Word Smart:?Draw a dictionary and children reading, writing and speaking.

    Logic/Number Smart: Draw sums on a computer, a scientist with test tube.

    Music Smart: Draw children singing and playing musical instruments.

    Body Smart: Draw children playing a sport, dancing or cooking.

    Nature Smart:?Draw trees, animals, insects, child watering a plant.

    Spatial/Picture Smart: Draw children drawing, painting or taking photos and a pilot in a plane.

    People Smart:?Draw a child helping or leading a group or a group of children holding hands.

    Self-Smart: Draw children keeping a journal, researching on a computer, or meditating.

    Encourage students to order their smarts from 1-8. For example, if you love music, write number 1 in the Music Smart section and continue to 8 in order of preference. (You may wish to model this first and order your smarts from 1-8 and then encourage the children to order their smarts.)

    After the quiz

    • Encourage students to compare and discuss their results. Collect the papers and make notes about each student’s results. This will help you reach all your students when planning activities.
    • Explain that we have all the intelligences in different degrees and that all of the intelligences are equal (no intelligence is better than another). Also point out that it is important to know our strengths in order to help in all subjects. (E.g. a music smart student who finds maths challenging may want to sing multiplication tables). Remind students that we usually use several intelligences to do something and we can explore and develop all our smarts.

    Tip: Video lesson 2 to use as part of assessment.

    Lesson 3: Beginning the project

    Encourage the students to create a project for enjoyment. Explain that you want them to collaborate in groups that share the same smarts and interests and using their creativity you want them come up with an interesting topic to explore. (Remind students to concentrate on developing their success skills when they are working with others and mention that you will also be monitoring this as part of the assessment).

    Organize the students into groups of no more than five students in each. Give students time to brainstorm in their groups and come up with the best topic for the project, using their critical thinking skills. (E.g. Picture Smart students may decide to create a project about a famous artist, such as Salvador Dali).

    You may wish to give each student a ?(Know, Want-to-know, and Learned) to complete during the project process, asking questions such as: What do you know? What do you want to know? What have you learned?

    Lesson 4: Planning the project

    Inform students about the timing of the project. Encourage each group to make a project mind map, which will encourage them to be more creative and organized.

    Remind all the groups to keep the following questions in mind:

    • What are you going to do/make? (Presentation, PowerPoint, website, video, posters.)
    • How will you research it? (Internet, tech tools, library.)
    • How will you delegate responsibilities?
    • How will you check that your audience has understood the message of your project? What questions will you ask?

    Decide on how many lessons are needed to prepare the project and how much will be done in school or at home, depending on the age groups and timing.

    Encourage the students to share their work with the rest of the class (or in assembly.)

    Tip: Video the different groups sharing their work.

    Can assessment also be fun and engaging?

    Yes, it can; here are some tips and suggestions.

    • Show the videos you have recorded and ask the students to compare and contrast their knowledge in Lesson 1 and how it developed over the lessons. Encourage them to observe and comment on their success skills.
    • Display the photo of the Student Learning Goals poster from Lesson 1. Get the students to self-assess and decide whether they have achieved the goals that were set in Lesson 1. (You may wish to give the students three small pieces of colored paper: red to represent I understand quite well, orange to represent I understand well and green to represent I understand very well). Ask: Can you identify the different intelligences and say what they mean? Encourage the students to hold up a colored piece of paper according to their understanding. (Make a mental note of all red pieces of paper to be ready to give extra help to those students). Check understanding by getting several students to answer the question.
    • Get the children to reflect on the learning experience. What have they learned about the different intelligences? How can they develop weaker points using their strengths to help them? Can they use all eight intelligences inside and outside school? Did they manage to get along well with their classmates? Did they communicate the message of their project so that the audience understood?
    • Give individual feedback to each student. E.g. congratulate them on their attitude and effort or identify areas for improvement: “You managed to use vocabulary and language effectively when you shared your project, we understood your message perfectly.” Or “You need to work on being more collaborative.” “You weren’t on task during the project.” “How do you think you can improve that?”
    • Ask students to give you feedback on the activities they enjoyed. Get them to draw happy and sad face cards. Go through all the activities and get the students to show a happy or sad face according to whether or not they liked the activity. E.g. say “Did you like the ‘Find out your smarts’ quiz?” and ask them to hold up the happy or sad face depending on whether they liked the activity or not.

    Create fun lessons to engage all your students keeping this model in mind: traditional activities such as short fun activities and games + Howard Gardner’s model of Multiple Intelligences + PBL (Project Based Learning) + success skills + meaningful assessment. Enjoy the results with your students.

    How the Global Scale of English can help

    The?Global Scale of English (GSE) Learning Objectives for provides ready-made learning objectives that can help with planning curriculums and lesson and benchmarking learners’ progress. They are great for young learners because they describe language functions in a granular way, enabling educators to give their learners credit for small achievements. They also clearly show the language functions to target next in order to take learners to the next level.

  • Expressing love around the world: Interesting facts and how to say "I love you" in different languages

    By Sam Colley
    Reading time: 5 minutes

    Love is a universal language that transcends borders, cultures and languages. For those learning another language, understanding how to express love in various tongues can be both fascinating and useful. Whether you're planning to travel, connect with friends from different backgrounds, or simply expand your linguistic repertoire, knowing how to say "I love you" in different languages as well as the cultural context, can be a beautiful way to show appreciation and affection. Let's take a look at some of the many ways to express this timeless sentiment and some interesting facts.

    1. Cultural nuances:

    In many cultures, the way you express love can carry different weights and meanings. For example, in Japanese, "愛してる" (aishiteru) is a very strong expression of love, often reserved for serious relationships, whereas "大好き" (daisuki) is more commonly used among friends and family.
    However, French, often called the language of love, uses "je t'aime" to express love as a romantic phrase that can be used for both partners and close family members.

    2. Gender differences:

    Some languages have gender-specific ways of saying "I love you." For instance, in Arabic, "????" (a?ibbuka) is used when a woman says "I love you" to a man, and "????" (a?ibbuki) is used when a man says it to a woman. Similarly, in Hindi, men say "??? ????? ????? ???? ???" (main tumse pyaar karta hoon) and women say "??? ????? ????? ???? ???" (main tumse pyaar karti hoon).

    3. Formal vs. informal:

    Some languages have formal and informal ways of expressing love. In Spanish, "te amo" is more formal and used for romantic love, while "te quiero" is more casual and can be used for friends and family.
    ?

  • A teacher sat at the front of the class holding a book reading it to a class of young children who are sat on the floor

    Romantic Readers and classroom ideas to celebrate Valentine’s day

    By Iram Ahmed
    Reading time: 3 minutes

    Love is in the air on February 14th, with hearts, red roses and boxes of chocolates everywhere. We’re all set for the big day, and to help you prepare as well, here are six of our favorite love stories for learners of all ages and levels. There are also plenty of fun ideas for your classroom.

    1.?Cinderella?(Level 1)

    Poor Cinderella lives with her stepmother and two horrible stepsisters. They treat her badly, making her cook and clean, while they relax and wear beautiful clothes. However, one night, Cinderella gets the chance to sneak away and attend a fabulous ball. She meets a handsome prince…but must run away before he discovers her true identity. With only a glass shoe to help him, will the prince ever find Cinderella?

    How to use this Reader in class:

    It’s no surprise that the story has a happy ending. After reading the story, have the learners draw a picture and write about Cinderella’s new life in the castle, with her loving new family.

    2.?Lady and the Tramp?(Level 3)

    This classic Disney story tells the tale of two young dogs who come from different backgrounds. Lady lives in a house while Tramp lives on the street. However, one day, Lady is forced to leave the house and the life she knows. Tramp teaches her about life on the streets and the two dogs fall in love… but with the dog-catcher always chasing them, will the story have a happy ending?

    How to use this reader in class:

    After reading the story, why not watch the animated version with your students? They can choose their favorite character from the movie and write a description of them.

    Looking for more romantic Readers for young learners? How about?The Little Mermaid?(Level 2) or?Aladdin?(Level 5)? There’s something for everyone?in our catalog.

    3.?Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl?(Level 2)

    If your teenagers are looking for more adventure than romance, this Reader has both. Follow crazy Jack Sparrow, handsome Will and brave Elizabeth as they fight pirates and uncover the curse of the Black Pearl. But will Elizabeth and Will survive the dangerous life on the seven seas?

    How to use this Reader in class:

    After reading the story, why not ask your students to write a review of it? It’s a great way for them to summarize the plot and share their opinion.

    4.?Pride and Prejudice?(Level 5)

    A timeless classic,?Pride and Prejudice?tells the story of young Elizabeth Bennett. As the oldest daughters in a family of five, she and her sister Jane are both expected to find good husbands and marry soon. But will Elizabeth find love, or will no man be good enough for her?

    How to use this Reader in class:

    While reading the story, learners can keep a diary, writing entries in the voice of Elizabeth Bennett. This helps them to demonstrate their understanding of the novel and encourages them to have a more empathetic reaction to the story’s heroine. They can either write the diary entries using typical language from Jane Austen’s day, or updating it to more modern language.

    Here’s an example:

    I had the ‘pleasure’ of meeting Mr Darcy today and found him rather rude and reserved. I imagine he feels this country life is inferior and that the locals are uncultured simpletons!

    or

    Met Mr Darcy today – what a stuck-up dork! He just stood there, looking down his nose at everyone… you can see he thinks he’s better than us locals.

    If you think your teenage learners would enjoy a different modern or classic tale of romance, check out our readers?. There are plenty to choose from, including?Romeo and Juliet?(Level 3),?Love Actually?(Level 4) and?Madame Bovary?(Level 6).

    5.?Tales from the Arabian Nights?(Level 2)?

    What would you do if you needed to fascinate a king to save your life? This is the problem Sheherezade faces when she marries a king who has killed all his previous wives. So she tells her new husband exciting, mesmerizing stories every night and always ends the tale with the king wanting to hear more. She tells him stories of adventure, love and mystery… and you can read her stories too in this Level 2 Reader.

    How to use this reader in class:

    After reading the book, have students vote on their favorite story from Sheherezade. They can then work in groups to present a short play of one of the stories, working together to write a short script.

    6.?Wuthering Heights?(Level 5)?

    Unfortunately, the path of true love isn’t always easy. Set in 19th Century Yorkshire, this tragic romance follows the story of Catherine and Heathcliff. The two childhood friends grow up together very closely. However, although she loves him deeply, Catherine can’t marry Heathcliff because of his lower social status. Instead, she marries another man, Edgar. How will Heathcliff react to this news? Will Catherine and Edgar be happy together?

    How to use this reader in class:

    At one point in?Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff runs away from home because he thinks Catherine is embarrassed by him and doesn’t love him. Have the learners write a letter from Catherine to Heathcliff at that point, expressing her regrets about why they can’t be together. It provides students with the opportunity to use phrases such as?If only…,?I wish…?and?I should have…?whilst demonstrating their understanding of the novel so far.

    If Yorkshire moors and Arabian nights aren’t quite what your students are looking for, there are more tales of romance on our site. Choose from modern-day love stories such as?Notting Hill?(Level 3) and?Lisa in London?(Level 1) or classics like?Anna Karenina?(Level 6) and?Persuasion?(Level 2).

    If you enjoyed this post here are some more practical posts to get your students engaged in reading, 'How to bring Shakespeare to life in the classroom'?and 'How to motivate reluctant readers'.