Developing AI literacy training for language learners and teachers
This presentation is based on the premise that, in the current era marked by the emergence of tools like DeepL and ChatGPT, it is imperative for language learners and educators to cultivate AI literacy. Our conception of AI literacy is informed by the framework of machine translation (MT) literacy developed by Bowker & Buitrago Ciro (2019). Increasingly, teachers and students are integrating automatic text production tools (ATP), like ChatGPT, Co-pilot or Gemini, into their second language (L2) learning strategies. Yet, akin to the initial adoption of MT tools in language education, users often lack the critical skills necessary to judiciously employ these tools and asses their output. The need for proficient proofreading of machine-generated content is growing, and users are currently ill-prepared for this challenge. Insights from translation studies (e.g. Benites et al. 2023; Martindale & Carpuat 2018; Resende & Way 2021) on MT tools’ use and performance (References) can provide a valuable guidance for language learners and educators to recognize the limitations of both AI-generated texts and human proofreaders.
Our experience with MT tools within the ‘Digital literacy in university contexts’ project (2021-2024) (Delorme Benites et al. 2021) has enabled us to investigate optimal approaches to fostering this emergent AI literacy (Cotelli Kureth & Summer 2023). Additionally, our research into users’ perceptions and emotional responses to AI tools (MT and ATP tools; Lehr, Cotelli Kureth & Delorme Benites in preparation) has enriched out training modules and deepened our comprehension of what constitutes critical and informed usage of these technologies, as well as their potential advantages for language acquisition. Our most recent action research examines methods to enhance transparency in the use of MT and ATP tools when students are writing in their L2 (Cotelli Kureth, Paliot & Zink in preparation).
In this presentation, I will thus explore how these new tools can be efficiently integrated into the language classrooms to the benefit of both students and educators. Furthermore, I will offer ideas for presenting these tools to both groups in a manner that maximizes their utility and impact on language learning strategies.
Short bio:
Prof. Dr. Sara Cotelli Kureth is head of the Language Centre at the University of Neuchâtel. She is part of the ‘Digital Literacy in University Contexts’ project and has been experimenting with AI in her classes and LC for several years and has conducted several research action projects linked to this topic.
