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Artificial intelligence in foreign language teaching/learning

Context and issues

Artificial intelligences (AI)[1] are transforming many sectors, including education (Le Got, 2024; Guénot, 2023). Foreign language teaching is also being affected. AI-based tools, particularly those that generate content (generative), such as conversational assistants, adaptive learning platforms and automated assessment systems, offer unprecedented possibilities for personalising and enriching the learning experience. However, this technological ‘revolution’ raises crucial questions about the pedagogical effectiveness and postures (role and place) of teachers in a context where AIs are becoming ubiquitous (Yang, 2024), as well as societal, ethical and ecological issues (Fort et al., 2024).

The annual conference of the Association des Professeurs de Langues des IUT (APLIUT) in Colmar in 2025 will explore these issues, especially as the scientific literature on the subject is growing exponentially, as shown by the many recent publications[2], particularly those dealing with the integration of AI in education and its impact on language teaching (Warschauer and Xu, 2024). Scientific articles, books, theses and dissertations, as well as conferences, seminars, study days and dedicated research groups are proliferating. A variety of accessible resources, such as conferences on YouTube, often organised by international institutions such as the OECD, the ECML and the Council of Europe, are also generating interest.

The educational potential of AI is vast. Giannini (2023), in his report for UNESCO, envisages them as a central element of future education. In parallel, Fakher Ajabshir (2023) draws up an overview of the opportunities and challenges that AI technologies represent for personalising foreign language learning. Examining 516 articles on how AI has been integrated into language teaching, a bibliometric analysis conducted by Huang and colleagues (2023) shows that these tools are frequently used to help students acquire language skills. In the field that concerns us most, AIs have the potential to develop students' specialist language skills (Mavropoulou, 2023), when used as personalised conversational assistants. They can provide pedagogical resources, including answers, comments and explanations (Ahmed et al., 2023, p. 46). However, this view should be taken with caution, as AIs may contain biased or even erroneous information in the case of specialised languages (technical language, in particular), which makes their use as tutors risky (Farr, 2024; Farhi et al., 2023). The problems associated with the use of AI in the education system are also found in Vogt and Flindt (2023), for whom the training of language teachers is necessary. However, the question of the impact of AI on learners' productions (Yibokou et al., 2024, forthcoming) and the evaluation of language skills (Rahman et al., 2024) remain to be explored in greater depth.

Thus, the 45^th APLIUT Conference proposes to serve as a platform to discuss issues related to the integration of AIs in the university (Martinez, 2024), encouraging contributions that explore both their opportunities and challenges in the field of foreign language teaching (Crompton and Burke, 2023). This conference aims to bring together teacher-researchers and practitioners around key issues related to the use of AI in foreign language teaching in IUTs and the LSP / LAP (Languages for Specific and Academic Purposes) sector, while providing them with tools to navigate this evolving landscape. Participants are invited to submit papers along the following (non-exhaustive) lines, reworded and set out in the form of questions to guide reflection.

Axis 1. How can AI be integrated into language teaching practices?

• What are the pedagogical innovations made possible by AI in language teaching and learning?
• How can AI be used in language lessons? What activities should be offered to learners to meet their needs?
• What is the role and place of the teacher in a learning environment where AI is omnipresent?
• What can we learn from feedback on the integration of AI in IUTs and/or other LSP/LAP contexts?

Axis 2. How can AI be used to personalise language learning?

• How does the use of AI influence learners' learning strategies (cognition and metacognition)?
• What is the impact of personalisation by AI on learners' language skills?
• How can AI be used to take account of the diversity of learner profiles in language learning?
• What is the role of AI in informal learning and outside the walls of the institution?

Axis 3. Can AI revolutionise the assessment of language skills?

• What framework should be put in place for the assessment of AI-assisted student productions?
• To what extent can AIs provide immediate and formative feedback to learners?
• What are the limits and challenges of automated language assessment systems?
• How do learners perceive these new forms of AI-assisted assessment?

Axis 4. What are the ethical, environmental and societal challenges of AI in language teaching?

• What are the biases introduced by AI, and what are the implications for social justice in language teaching?
• What measures are needed to protect learners' personal data when using AI?
• How can teachers and learners be trained in the reasoned use of AI while respecting ecological practices?
• How are governments and political decision-makers tackling the issue of the use of AIs for languages?

Axis 5. Practical workshops

This area offers the space and opportunity to share experiences and present concrete cases of the use of AI in language classes, either with colleagues or with learners. These workshops can be linked to the above themes (1 to 4) and address examples of the following points:

• What are concrete examples of the use of AI tools in the classroom for language teaching?
• What challenges do teachers face when using AI in the classroom and how can they be overcome?
• How can teachers evaluate AI-based learner productions in their language classes?
• How can teachers work together to create AI-based learning resources?

Références bibliographiques

Ahmed, S. M. A. A., Taha, A. R. A., Hussain, S., & Hayat, A. (2023). Enhancing the teaching and learning of English for specific purposes (Esp) With Chatgpt. International Journal of Technology and Education Research, 1(03), Article 03.

Crompton, H., & Burke, D. (2023). Artificial intelligence in higher education: The state of the field. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 20(1), 22. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-023-00392-8

Fakher Ajabshir, Z. (2023). A review of the affordances and challenges of artificial intelligence technologies in second language learning. Technology Assisted Language Education, 1(4), 111–130. https://doi.org/10.22126/tale.2024.10104.1028

Farhi, F., Jeljeli, R., Aburezeq, I., Dweikat, F. F., Al-shami, S. A., & Slamene, R. (2023). Analyzing the students’ views, concerns, and perceived ethics about chat GPT usage. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 5, 100-180. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2023.100180

Farr, C. (2024). Unmasking ChatGPT: The challenges of using artificial intelligence for learning vocabulary in english as an additional language. University of Victoria. http://hdl.handle.net/1828/15835

Fort, K., Anderson, M. M., Coince, A., D’aquin, M., Amblard, M., Carter, S. E., Tiddi, I., & Ranville, D. (dir.). (2024). Think before loading. Loria. https://hal.univ-lorraine.fr/hal-04539948

Giannini, S. (2023). Generative AI and the future of education. UNESCO, 8. https://www.laifitalia.it/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/385877eng.pdf

Guénot, F. (2023). Les IA éducatives : L’intelligence artificielle dans l’enseignement supérieur. Bréal.

Huang, X., Zou, D., Cheng, G., Chen, X., & Xie, H. (2023). Trends, research issues and applications of artificial intelligence in language education. Educational Technology & Society, 26(1), 112–131.

Le Got, C. V. (dir.). (2024). Education et intelligence artificielle. L’Harmattan.

Martinez, P. (2024). Intégrer l’intelligence artificielle à l’université. L’Harmattan.

Mavropoulou, E. (2023). Exploitation de l’intelligence artificielle dans l’enseignement du français langue étrangère sur objectifs spécifiques : Une étude de cas. Revue des Arts, Linguistique, Littérature & Civilisations, 8, 63–70.

Rahman, A., Raj, A., Tomy, P., & Hameed, M. S. (2024). A comprehensive bibliometric and content analysis of artificial intelligence in language learning: Tracing between the years 2017 and 2023. Artificial Intelligence Review, 57(4), 1-27. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10462-023-10643-9

Vogt, K., & Flindt, N. (2023). Artificial intelligence and the future of language teacher education: a critical review of the use of ai tools in the foreign language classroom. In The Future of Teacher Education. 179–199. Brill. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004678545_008

Warschauer, M., & Xu, Y. (2024). Artificial intelligence for language learning: Entering a new era. Language Learning and Technology, 28(2). https://www.lltjournal.org/collection/col_10125_108158/

Yang, A. (2024). Challenges and opportunities for foreign language teachers in the era of artificial intelligence. International Journal of Education and Humanities, 4(1). https://doi.org/10.58557/(ijeh).v4i1.202

Yibokou, K. S., Boulton, A., Kalyaniwala, C., & Schires, M. (2024 sous presse). Spontaneous use of Generative Artificial Intelligence and influence on collaborative learner writing. Alsic.

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N.B. This call is generated in part by ChatGPT and revised in particular for aspects of content and bibliography.

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