I was eight years old then. Standing before the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport, I was being greeted by my younger cousin who had just flown in from New Zealand. Guess what? She had asked me a simple question, my name with a kiwi accent and I was all lost and confused. I couldn’t reply. I was so perplexed, that my kaku had to break the query down with an Indian accent.
When I look back and wonder, I realised it must have been quite a funny scene. The English speaking Indian cousin failed to comprehend the word ‘name’! But that episode turned my trajectory of life. I spent hours over the next decade, hearing the language from newsreaders across the globe on television, hearing live sports commentary and brief documentary programmes. And almost accidentally, I became a witness to the marriage of technology and English Language. Down the years, the language took hold of my imagination. And technology became my assistant. Millions of English Language teachers across the globe now have been harnessing technology in effective ways.
The last four decades have been a witness to introduction of mass media in the language laboratory. It was followed by integration of audio visual media by using computers and internet. Today, artificial intelligence has also become a great assist. So, how can a teacher use Artificial Intelligence in the English Language Classroom? Language learning is associated with development of students’ language abilities of listening, reading, speaking and writing and their application in daily lives.
The question is – what should a teacher use or integrate in her lesson – an artificial intelligence based aid, tool or an application?
LET’S UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE FIRST
An aid is any object that engages the senses of eyes, nose, taste, hearing or touch. A tool is generally an instrument, a method of a strategy adapted to deliver a lesson like worksheets, assessment formats etc. Whereas, an AI application is a software program that uses AI techniques to perform specific tasks like computer vision, identifying patterns in data or document processing etc. It’s obvious, for a Language teacher to be effective, one ought to integrate Artificial Intelligence in the lesson design.
But one must be clear in the objective. If a teacher wishes to develop the speech of a learner, using AI based software to provide independent, real time feedback is an excellent scheme. If a teacher wishes to develop writing skill, software can identify patterns of errors in each learner’s composition and enable the teacher to focus on overcoming the gaps in syntax formation. If a teacher wishes to enhance listening ability and expose a child to various dialects, using an AI tool can assist the learner. In inclusive classrooms where differentiated learning is desired, assignments can be designed to cater to different ability learners.
In remote areas, where teacher shortage is a major concern, teachers can use Artificial Intelligence as a tool for catering to learner’s academic needs and use Learning Management Systems for all assistive processes. Artificial Intelligence based tools are also effective in tailoring learning speeds and styles. Times will change. Learning will evolve. An open mind and a humble aspiration to use the best available tool will surely enable language learning to be effective, engaging and surely useful for the global citizens.
(THE WRITER IS THE COORDINATOR, MAHADEVI BIRLA SHISHU VIHAR; SERIES EDITOR, ENGLISH PRESS MEMBER, IPPL)