The Application of Artificial Intelligence Tools for Language Learners
The means by which learning can be facilitated has evolved over time. In recent history, technology has become an inseparable part of education whether it be in a classroom or when we find time to learn on our own. The advent of artificial intelligence, commonly referred to as AI, has significantly transformed various aspects of education. Since its arrival and continued development, we have seen both support and rejection for this technology due to its potential to replace the human element to the areas in which it is applied. While this concern is valid, I argue that AI, if used correctly, has the potential to be one of the most valuable tools we have even in the realm of language learning applications. For students learning a second language, specifically looking at English language learners, AI has the potential to be a tool that helps to provide a new means for learners to develop skills such as their vocabulary, reading comprehension, speaking, and writing skills, all the while still retaining the human element of having a teacher to guide them through these processes. By examining the research and studies that have used AI for language learning, support for the use of AI tools for language learners will show enhanced potential for language acquisition.
Technology has made advancements in recent years that can be applied to aspects of language like vocabulary learning, but AI has taken that approach and opened new avenues for language learners. One of these approaches can be seen in the study conducted by Chiu-Jung Chen and Pei-Lin Liu in “Using an AI-Based Object Detection Translation Application for English Vocabulary Learning.” The study was conducted to test the capability of an artificial intelligence object detection translation (AI ODT) app that they developed in comparison against the Google Translate camera feature that had been released and how it would impact vocabulary learning for Taiwanese English as a Foreign Language learners (Liu, Pei-Lin, and Chiu-Jung Chen). The new Google Translate camera feature was introduced as a way to take pictures of foreign words and have them translated into the desired language. While the AI ODT app shares similarities in that it operates using a smart devices camera, the app went beyond being used for words and instead could be used to translate a word from a captured image (Liu, Pei-Lin, and Chiu-Jung Chen). As an example, where the Google Translate feature would require the user to take a picture of the word “apple” in order to be translated, the AI ODT app could be used to take a picture of an apple and then translate the word.
In this study, the students of mixed ability were separated into two groups, one who would use the Google Translate feature (control group) and one who would use the AI ODT app (experimental group). During class time, the students received the same instruction from their teacher and similar assignments with the main difference being which translation tool they could use to complete their work. What they found from the post-test, was that for students of lower-ability in the experiment group, their scores overall neither dramatically improved or worsened from the pre-test, but the higher-ability students saw significant improvement on their post-test scores in comparison to those in the control group (Liu, Pei-Lin, and Chiu-Jung Chen). Through this study, we see a way in which AI has been used as a tool for vocabulary learning and the success it has received in an early experimental implementation. As our understanding of AI improves, it can continue to grow and adapt to new and improved ways to enhance the experience of language learners.
Artificial intelligence can also serve as a useful tool in developing the reading skills of language learners. “The Effect of an Artificial Intelligence Program on EFL Students on Reading Skill” sought to explain artificial intelligence, the ways in which it is being used, and uncover the different issues that English learners have with the language and whether or not AI could serve as a tool to remedy these issues (ALI ALSHRIEDEH, R. M.). Using AI in conjunction with a Hot Bot strategy, using prompts to guide students to self-reflection and self-assessment, was implemented to survey ten English as a foreign language students whose ages ranged from eight to fifteen. The questions asked of the students were, “Where does the problem of understanding English reading come from?” with subsets including “difficulty understanding vocabulary, difficulty understanding the rules, difficulty reading the text, and nothing else,” as well as “Do you think you are learning enough to read English?/ Is the course suitable for you to learn the skill of reading the English language or not?/ Does your failure to read English lead you to frustration? (ALI ALSHRIEDEH, R. M.).”
The results from this survey showed an overwhelming difficulty for the students with 75% claiming difficulty due to vocabulary, 80% of the students not understanding the rules, 80% having difficulty reading, 70% saying the course was not suitable to developing their English reading skills, and 92% agreeing that failure to read English leads them to frustration (ALI ALSHRIEDEH, R. M.) Based on these results, how can AI be used to improve the concerns these students share? The results of the study concluded several points, one of which was the way in which technological development plays a role in every aspect of life and claims artificial intelligence to be one of the best technological developments with an important role in education (ALI ALSHRIEDEH, R. M.). Just as AI can be used to develop tools to teach vocabulary, as referenced before, further development of this technology can be used to improve upon the reading skills of English learners by identifying where they struggle and tailoring personalized learning experiences to address these difficulties.
AI can effectively enhance language learners’ speaking skills. “Improving EFL learners’ speaking skills and willingness to communicate via artificial intelligence-mediated interactions'' is a study in which speaking exercises were tested using a face-to-face approach and an AI Chatbot approach. Sixty-five English as foreign language students were randomly chosen, with thirty-three using the AI Chatbot and thirty-two using face-to-face discussion. IELTS (International English Language Testing Systems) speaking skills tests and WTC (Willingness to Communicate) scale were used to gather quantitative and qualitative data to determine the effect on speaking development for each group. The findings from this test showed significant improvement for the students in the experimental group, those using the AI Chatbot, and they were also more willing to communicate than the students in face-to-face discussion (FATHI, J.; RAHIMI, M.; DERAKHSHAN, A.).
Based on the results, it is clear to see that AI tools can help to develop skills while also providing better opportunities for students who prefer different avenues of learning, in this case students who are more willing to communicate with AI rather than the added pressure of communicating with other students. Taking these results into consideration for the ways in which AI can be applied to language learning, AI can provide another assessment and learning tool for students who may lack the confidence for public speaking. Face-to-face communication is still an important skill that should be given focus during language learning, but providing other means of practice and development like the AI Chatbot used in this study can help students to learn to be more effective at speaking in the targeted language so that they are better prepared and more confident for the moments when face-to-face discussion is used.
“Learning Analytics for Investigating the Mind Map-Guided AI Chatbot Approach in an EFL Flipped Speaking Classroom. Educational Technology & Society” takes a similar approach by exploring the potential of AI chatbots to provide another learning environment for English language learners, taking into consideration the lack of practice environments outside of the classroom (LIN, C.-J.; MUBAROK, H.). The study compared two AI chatbots using two English speaking classes, one which was mind-map guided and the other which was a conventional chatbot. The results from the study showed significant improvements in learning performance for the students using the mind-mapped AI chatbot over those who used the conventional chatbot. One of the reasons for this was the high frequency of interactive behavior for the students using the mind-mapped AI chatbot which led students to become “more creative, caring, confident, and better at finding ways to use vocabulary and coin new words, ask for help to check understanding, and request clarification (LIN, C.-J.; MUBAROK, H.).”
Considering the findings from this study and the many ways in which tools like AI chatbots are still being developed, it is clear to see that the use of AI can lead to significant improvement in the speaking skills of language learners. It should be noted that not all AI chatbots will produce the same results as the study showed, so educators should consider all possibilities before choosing to settle on which AI chatbot to use for their students. Regardless of that, the results of the study do show a positive influence to language learning for students who use AI as a tool to further practice their speaking in the language they are learning. Especially when taking into consideration the fact that these AI chatbots can be used by any student with access to a smart device or computer, the ability to continue learning opportunities outside of the classroom further supports the value of using AI tools for language learners.
AI can provide a new approach to the development of writing skills for language learners. One way that it can do so is through comparison, to find where students struggle and AI succeeds, in order to better identify areas to give greater focus when teaching. The study “Comparing Measures of Syntactic and Lexical Complexity in Artificial Intelligence and L2 Human-Generated Argumentative Essays. International Journal of Education & Development using Information & Communication Technology” took this exact approach by taking forty essays of similar topics, twenty written by Tswana learners of English in a first year South African University and twenty that were written by ChatGPT-3 (ZINDELA, N.). Using these samples, the study sought to quantify the lexical diversity, lexical sophistication, and the use of content and function words by comparing the students' writing samples to the writing samples by ChatGPT-3. The study found the AI written essays to have higher lexical diversity, AI having higher lexical sophistication, a narrow margin between both groups with content words, and the students using far more function words, likely overcompensating to conform to grammar rules (ZINDELA, N.).
Based on this study, the AI writing from ChatGPT-3 showed more lexical skill and was more effective with wording, requiring less words to convey its message. Using this as an example for AI as a language learning tool, AI writing can serve as an example for improving writing skills. While AI writing is still being improved upon, it can be used by educators and students to see what aspects of their writing skills are in need of more attention. Student’s shouldn’t be expected to write in the same way that tools like ChatGPT did for this study, but it does create an opportunity for comparison and identification or areas for potential development.
The use of AI for the purpose of language learning is one which should be heavily considered as we continue to see ways in which it is being used to improve upon other areas of life. While AI is still a relatively new technology, research does support the idea of implementation as another technological tool that can elevate the language learning process for students. By creating another means in which students can learn and be tested on their vocabulary, reading comprehension, speaking, and writing skills, AI presents itself as a new set of possibilities for those in the process of language learning. While there are still concerns regarding the use of AI and how things will be affected by its use, that does not mean that it should be invalidated as a learning tool. Educators should instead consider the possibilities and potential it has for developing language learners and improving upon language teaching and find ways to effectively utilize these tools. Rather than avoid the inevitable, embrace the change and learn to use AI as a new language learning tool.
Works Cited
ALI ALSHRIEDEH, R. M. The Effect of an Artificial Intelligence Program on EFL Students on Reading Skill . Ilkogretim Online, [s. l.], v. 20, n. 5, p. 1727–1731, 2021. DOI 10.17051/ilkonline.2021.05.190. Disponível em: https://research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=9075faed-28af-3850-8917-614c8120c7c3. Acesso em: 16 abr. 2024.
FATHI, J.; RAHIMI, M.; DERAKHSHAN, A. Improving EFL learners’ speaking skills and willingness to communicate via artificial intelligence-mediated interactions. System, [s. l.], v. 121, p. N.PAG, 2024. DOI 10.1016/j.system.2024.103254. Disponível em: https://research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=57b7a241-afe3-3527-aac3-12fe09daaaac. Acesso em: 16 abr. 2024.
LIN, C.-J.; MUBAROK, H. Learning Analytics for Investigating the Mind Map-Guided AI Chatbot Approach in an EFL Flipped Speaking Classroom. Educational Technology & Society, [s. l.], v. 24, n. 4, p. 16–35, 2021. Disponível em: https://research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=da5c91d3-c1e8-30dc-9bdd-41182f1e63d9. Acesso em: 17 abr. 2024.
Liu, Pei-Lin, and Chiu-Jung Chen. “Using an AI-Based Object Detection Translation Application for English Vocabulary Learning.” Educational Technology & Society, vol. 26, no. 3, July 2023, pp. 5–20. EBSCOhost, research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=aef27a48-8873-388e-8032-7eac67d72b32.
“What Is Artificial Intelligence (AI)?” IBM, www.ibm.com/topics/artificial-intelligence. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
ZINDELA, N. Comparing Measures of Syntactic and Lexical Complexity in Artificial Intelligence and L2 Human-Generated Argumentative Essays. International Journal of Education & Development using Information & Communication Technology, [s. l.], v. 19, n. 3, p. 50–68, 2023. Disponível em: https://research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=085f61a3-67c4-3d2a-9c86-efa3ab766cb1. Acesso em: 16 abr. 2024.