New Media in Language Education

Since the beginning of 2024, the AI for language education (AILang) project has been actively engaged in exploring and documenting how language teachers use AI tools to support teaching and learning. 

In our kick-off expert meeting, which took place on 18 and 19 March, the project team developed a multilingual questionnaire to map how AI is being used across national settings, what affordances teachers are aware of, and what apprehensions they have regarding the effective and ethical use of AI in language education. This survey has now been completed, and we would like to thank all participants for their time and insights. The initial findings of the survey suggest that AI resources were widely used: over half the respondents reported having used AI tools to create materials, organise lesson plans, teach all language skills and improve students’ vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation. Some examples they provided included: 

• generating text for classroom use
•  creating comprehension questions for reading or listening exercises
• creating different versions of learning and assessment tasks
• rephrasing instructions (e.g., “This helps me to have a different perspective on what I write”) 
• generating images that correspond to a description or text

That said, many teachers reported challenges in prompt generation, finding ways to integrate creativity into AI-assisted language education, and avoiding plagiarism. Concerns were also raised about training and the cost of AI tools. The teachers also reported fears regarding being replaced, or language education becoming obsolete, as well as the perceived decline in students’ production skills.

Based on the findings from this survey, the AILang team is currently working on developing resources that can help educate teachers about AI-assisted language education. To that end, we have been experimenting with various AI resources (e.g., CoPilot, ChatGTP, Claude, DeepL, Diff.it, etc.)  and exploring their potential and limitations. Our insights are used to produce teacher education materials that can help to: 

• familiarise teachers with AI resources and encourage them to experiment with them 
• develop their capacity to meaningfully integrate multiple AI tools into their teaching 
• encourage reflection on the pedagogically effective and ethical use of AI technology in language education. 

An online learning space has already been created to host these learning resources, and we are currently in the process of populating it with resources. 

We also organised an online event for teachers to exchange ideas and good practices regarding the use of AI in their language classrooms. Our first BarCamp event, on 5 November 2024, brought together teachers from Armenia, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, France, Georgia, Greece, Italy, Morocco, North Macedonia, Serbia and Sweden. In the focused discussions that took place participants shared their insights from the use of AI tools, presented innovative teaching ideas, discussed difficulties they have faced, and received peer feedback on their ideas and practices. We are in the process of analysing the insights from the BarCamp and will follow up with more information about it shortly.

Further ahead, we are also looking forward to our next international workshop, which will take place in Graz in November 2025. This will be an opportunity to present our ongoing work and discuss how it can be made more useful for language educators in diverse settings. If you are interested in participating, you can follow this space (www.ecml.at/AI-lang)  for updates, and liaise with the National Nominating Authorities in your country for details.  

Despite being launched just this year, the AILang project has already made considerable strides in understanding the current applications of AI in language education. These initial achievements mark only the beginning of the project's broader goals. Looking ahead, AILang is poised to launch new initiatives aimed at empowering educators with AI-driven tools and insights, transforming the future of language learning. 

Merilyn Meristo, coordinator of AILang

• ECML project website “AI for language education” (2024-27) (available in English and French) : www.ecml.at/AI-lang

Empowering Language Teachers Through ICT-REV Training

The ICT-REV workshop “Use of ICT in support of language teaching and learning” has proven to be a valuable experience for foreign language educators (teachers of English, German and French) providing practical tools and strategies to enhance teaching in the digital age. Organized by the European Centre for Modern Languages together with the Lithuanian Association of Teachers of English (LAKMA) and with the support of the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport of the Republic of Lithuania, this training offered educators ideas for integrating innovative ICT solutions into their classrooms as Lithuanian schools implement the updated, competence-oriented National Curriculum.

The workshop focused on helping teachers address key updates in the foreign language curriculum, such as developing mediation skills, supporting plurilingualism, and fostering global cultural awareness. Participants explored practical ways of using digital tools for activities like audiovisual text production, online interaction, and cross-curricular integration.

The workshop benefited foreign language teachers in several ways. The participants expanded their knowledge of ICT tools and resources, including the ECML’s Inventory of ICT Tools, and understanding how these tools align with modern pedagogical approaches. With support and collaboration, teachers became more confident and motivated to use ICT tools in their teaching. Foreign language teachers strengthened their professional competences, which are essential for increasing students’ motivation to learn foreign languages in a meaningful and effective way.

After the workshop, teachers are better prepared to meet curriculum demands and foster students’ communication and digital competences, ensuring they are ready for a globalized world.

Lithuanian version:

ICT-REV seminaras – vertinga patirtis užsienio kalbų mokytojams

Seminaras „Internetinių tecnhologijų taikymas kalbų mokyme ir mokymesi” tapo vertinga patirtimi užsienio kalbų (anglų, vokiečių ir prancūzų) pedagogams, suteikdamas praktinių įrankių ir strategijų, kaip efektyvinti mokymą skaitmeniniame amžiuje. Šiuos mokymus organizavo Europos šiuolaikinių kalbų centras kartu su Lietuvos anglų kalbos mokytojų asociacija (LAKMA), palaikant Lietuvos Respublikos švietimo, mokslo ir sporto ministerijai. Mokymų metu pedagogams buvo pristatytos idėjos, kaip integruoti inovatyvius IKT sprendimus į pamokas, įgyvendinant atnaujintą, kompetencijomis grįstą Bendrojo ugdymo programą.

Seminaro tikslas buvo padėti mokytojams įgyvendinti pagrindinius užsienio kalbų ugdymo programos atnaujinimus: ugdyti mediacijos gebėjimus, skatinti daugiakalbystę ir stiprinti globalų kultūrinį suvokimą. Dalyviai gilinosi į praktinius skaitmeninių įrankių taikymo metodus, tokius kaip audiovizualinių tekstų kūrimas, internetinė sąveika ir tarpdalykinė integracija.

Seminaras užsienio kalbų mokytojams buvo naudingas keliais aspektais. Dalyviai praplėtė žinias apie IKT įrankius ir išteklius, ir suprato, kaip šie įrankiai dera su šiuolaikiniais pedagogikos metodais. Bendradarbiavimas ir palaikymas mokymų metu padėjo mokytojams jaustis labiau pasitikinčiais savimi ir motyvuotais taikyti IKT savo pamokose. Be to, mokytojai stiprino profesines kompetencijas, kurios itin svarbios siekiant padidinti mokinių motyvaciją prasmingai ir efektyviai mokantis užsienio kalbų.

Dalyvavę mokymuose kalbų pedagogai yra geriau pasirengę įgyvendinti ugdymo programos reikalavimus bei lavinti mokinių komunikacinius ir skaitmeninius gebėjimus, suteikdami jiems galimybę sėkmingai veikti globaliame pasaulyje.

Kristina Urboniene, local coordinator

 

On November 8 and 9, 2024, employees of cantonal education administrations, language lecturers from various universities of teacher education in Switzerland, teachers at kindergarten, primary and lower secondary level as well as internship supervisors met for a workshop in St. Gallen. The workshop was organized and held in close cooperation with the European Centre for Modern Languages of the Council of Europe (ECML).

The three-person team of experts showed the participants concrete ways in which teachers and learners can be guided and supported so that they can use information and communication technologies in a pedagogically meaningful way in foreign language lessons and engage in virtual exchange with learners from other schools.

In order to achieve this goal, the participants were given ample opportunity on the first day to become aware of the available technologies and to critically reflect on their use in the classroom. Particular attention was paid to the question of their didactic added value.

The second day was used to develop concrete and immediately applicable learning activities. The group work enabled creative collaboration and the peer reviews led to an optimization of the products. These are available to all course participants via the course platform.

The workshop was conducted in collaboration with the European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML), which will also disseminate the learning activities developed on its platform. The workshop was also financially supported by the ECML and the European Commission. The Institute for Linguistic and Literary Education (ISLB-PHSG) took on the role of local organization in order to provide an ideal setting for the course leaders and participants. The experts came from the ICT-REV project of the ESFZ. The participants were approached and recruited by the ISLB-PHSG. An important criterion was the participants' ability to disseminate the knowledge they had acquired after the workshop. This can be done through use in courses, mentoring, internal teacher training or as part of continuing education programs in the cantons.

News on the PHSG website: https://www.phsg.ch/de/news/workshop-zu-digitalen-tools-fuer-das-sprachenlehren-und-lernen.

German version:

Am 8. und 9. November 2024 trafen sich Mitarbeitende kantonaler Bildungsverwaltungen, Sprachendozierende verschiedener Pädagogischen Hochschulen der Schweiz, Lehrpersonen der Kindergarten- und Primar- und der Sekundarstufe I sowie Praktikumsleitungen zu einem Workshop in St. Gallen. Der Workshop wurde in enger Zusammenarbeit mit dem Europäischen Fremdsprachenzentrum des Europarats (EFSZ) organisiert und durchgeführt.

Das dreiköpfige Expert:innenteam zeigte den Teilnehmenden konkrete Möglichkeiten auf, wie Lehrpersonen bzw. Lernende angeleitet und unterstützt werden können, damit diese Informations- und Kommunikationstechnologien pädagogisch sinnvoll im Fremdsprachenunterricht einsetzen und mit Lernenden anderer Schulen in einen virtuellen Austausch gelangen können.

Um dieses Ziel zu erreichen, wurde den Teilnehmenden am ersten Tag reichlich Gelegenheit geboten, sich der verfügbaren Technologien bewusst zu werden und deren Einsatz im Unterricht kritisch zu reflektieren. Ein besonderes Augenmerk wurde dabei auf die Frage nach deren didaktischem Mehrwert gelegt.

Der zweite Tag wurde zur Entwicklung konkreter und unmittelbar verwendbarer Lernaktivitäten ein-gesetzt. Die Gruppenarbeiten ermöglichten ein kreatives Zusammenarbeiten, die Peer-Reviews führten zu einer Optimierung der Produkte. Diese stehen via Kursplattform allen Kursteilnehmenden zur Verfügung.

Der Workshop wurde in Zusammenarbeit mit dem Europäischen Fremdsprachenzentrum (EFSZ) durchgeführt, das die entwickelten Lernaktivitäten auf seiner Plattform ebenfalls verbreiten wird. Zudem wurde der Workshop vom EFSZ sowie der Europäischen Kommission finanziell unterstützt. Das Institut Sprachliche und Literarische Bildung (ISLB-PHSG) übernahm dabei die Rolle der lokalen Organisation, um der Kursleitung und den Teilnehmenden einen idealen Rahmen zu bieten. Die Expert:innen stammen aus dem ICT-REV-Projekt des ESFZ. Die Teilnehmenden wurden durch das ISLB-PHSG angesprochen und rekrutiert. Wichtiges Kriterium war dabei die Möglichkeit der Teilnehmenden, das erworbene Wissen im Nachgang zum Workshop zu streuen. Dies kann durch den Einsatz in Lehrveranstaltungen, in Mentoraten, bei schulinternen Lehrer:innenfortbildungen oder auch im Rahmen von Weiterbildungsangeboten in den Kantonen geschehen.

News auf der Webseite der PHSG: https://www.phsg.ch/de/news/workshop-zu-digitalen-tools-fuer-das-sprachenlehren-und-lernen. 

Reto Hunkeler, local coordinator