AI in Foreign Language Learning and Teaching: Theory and Practice

The primary objective of this book concerns how to bring foreign language learning and teaching into the ever-expanding world of AI culture, so as to make the language learning experience consistent with what students are exposed to in their daily lives. Teaching and learning foreign languages today are no longer restricted to the “walled-in classroom,” where print materials, pedagogy, and face-to-face interactions have always been considered to be the central elements in bringing about successful learning outcomes. Today, the traditional classroom is on the verge of a radical transformation, triggered especially by AI systems such as chatbots. Some initial work in using deep learning AI systems, which have the ability to interact with students and teachers in tandem, is showing how classroom-teaching can be enhanced with an “algorithmic tutor.” This book provides an overview of what the research says and what prospects AI bears for foreign language teaching at present and in the future. It will delineate concrete ideas that can potentially make the learning and teaching of languages relevant to the techno-savvy student, without compromising the role of the human teacher.