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 Microsoft survey, 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 Bard, 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 might limit creativity 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 anti-plagiarism tools like Turnitin are now incorporating checks for AI-generated content; the company reported that more than 2 million papers 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 ethical usage 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)

Natural Language Processing 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 Pearson is a great example of using this kind of technology in language learning with their AR and VR 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 games experimenting 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. 

 

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 Pearson

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