Certified Teacher: AI and the Future of Language Learning
Learning languages used to be limited to two pathways –as a child surrounded by that language, or by seeking new language environments. With the development of books and tutorials however, language learning has become more accessible than ever before. It is now much easier to enroll in a language course and we have all done our fair share of Duolingo lessons and other online language tutorials.
AI marks another such shift in language learning and teaching. As it takes over various avenues and technologies, the growth of AI particularly in education is expected to skyrocket between 2023 and 2030, at a compound annual growth rate of 36%. Already, learning apps like Duolingo and Babbel have adapted to the changing market and mobilized new technologies to create tailored courses and address specific user needs.
How will this rapid change affect the acquisition of language? What are some disadvantages or warning signs we can prepare for? How might this paradigm change affect teachers? Lastly, if artificial intelligence continues to advance, will we even need to learn other languages?
The greatest advantage of mechanized language learning has been accessibility. AI will do more in leaps and bounds to bring easy learning to remote, disadvantaged, neurodivergent or differently abled learners. With enhanced and specific feedback, progress tracking and a variety of learning tools, AI will substantially increase the scope of the entire operation.
On the flip side, foreign language learning will sorely lack human interaction and context-specific learning. It may also curb creative and independent learning, and make it difficult for learners to develop the skills necessary to adapt to real life linguistic challenges. AI has also made plagiarism faster and more convenient. This is reflected in the multiple AI-checker applications and websites that have surfaced in the last two years. A recent report by the British Council has also pledged to address cultural and racial biases in AI programmes, as well to limit the privilege of certain dialects or ways of speaking.
As more human intelligence in teaching and learning becomes replaced by AI, we confront the possibility of losing cultural and emotional specificities. If culture is language, and language can be learnt from a machine, what does that say for how we will pass on cultures and linguistic traditions? Consider, further, what it may mean for human civilization for AI to surpass not only human potential but also the need to learn a new language itself.
For the moment, it is necessary to track not only the ways in which AI develops, but the ways in which we could become overly reliant on an exciting new digital technology and lose touch with foreign language learning traditions.
Sources:
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-65849104
https://engineering.stanford.edu/magazine/future-language-learning
https://www.peptalkradio.com/will-ai-replace-the-need-for-learning-languages/