Opening AI for Language Learning | Podcast on RSS.com

Opening AI for Language Learning

Opening AI for Language Learning

by Mathias Schulze, Philip Hubbard

Education Technology

To AI or Not to AI?

Exploring two contrasting perspectives on AI in education by Andreas Horn and Emily Bender, Mat and Phil reflect on AI’s promises and pitfalls, what artificial intelligence really means, and how language educators can respond thoughtfully to a technology that is already shaping education. In this episode: Both texts are available at https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000395236 (page numbers below) The whole booklet is UNESCO (2025) AI and the future of education: disruptions, dilemmas and directions. Andreas Horn: Rethinking Education in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (page 38) Emily Bender: We do Not Have to Accept AI (much less GenAI) as Inevitable in Education (page 41) Emily M. Bender: https://faculty.washington.edu/ebender/ Andreas Horn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreashorn1/

OAILL in Hong Kong

Mat and Phil welcome their first-ever guest, Glenn Stockwell, to discuss professional development, learner training, and the ethical, legal, and policy challenges of generative AI in language education. The conversation also explores AI literacy, academic publishing, the Gartner Hype Cycle, and emerging research on AI's impact on language learning. In this episode: Glenn Stockwell: https://www.eduhk.hk/en/experts/professor-stockwell-glenn Glenn's papers: Professional development and learner training for AI. In Y. Wang, A. Alm, & G. Dizon (Eds.), Insights into AI and language teaching and learning (pp. 203–218). Castledown Publishers. https://archives.castledown.com.au/chapters/ai-insights/9781763711600-12.pdf Legal, affective, and policy dimensions of the AI ecosystem in language education. International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and Teaching, 16(1), 1–14 https://www.igi-global.com/gateway/article/404017

TESOL goes AI

In this episode, Phil reports to Mat on his adventures at the TESOL 2026 Convention in Salt Lake City, March 24-27. Phil talked with exhibitors and attended as many AI-focused presentations, panels, and posters as he could to get a sense of how AI, especially GenAI, is being presented by and to professional English language teachers. Mat comments on the value of panels and the conversations at conferences that take place during breaks and in the evening. General themesMix of skepticism and excitement Some hype and naive applications, but less than expected Highlighting of ethics and critical AI Literacy (E.g., CALL Interest Section panel on AI ethics: https://submissions.mirasmart.com/TESOL2026/Itinerary/PresentationDetail.aspx?evdid=463 ) AI-focused exhibitors, including small-scale startups but also Duolingo Two standout presentations (among many!)Miriam Moore (University of North Georgia): four-part critical AI literacy framework. She recommends building a personal ethical checklist and conducting a privacy audit of AI platforms you use. https://submissions.mirasmart.com/TESOL2026/Itinerary/EventsAAG.aspx Jane Freeman (University of Toronto). Using a puppet-puppeteer analogy, she discusses the difference between cognitive offloading (for learners, AI as a shortcut to task completion—human is the puppet) and distributed cognition (AI as a collaborative partner—human is the puppeteer). She also noted (correctly) that “None of us are AI literate.” https://submissions.mirasmart.com/TESOL2026/Itinerary/EventsAAG.aspx ExhibitorsFlowspeak: Semi-structured scenarios where ESL students interact with an AI to move from B1 to B2 to C1 CEF levels. https://www.flowspeak.io/ PangeaChat: Text or audio chat with others with AI support; also has an option for independent interaction with a chatbot. https://pangea.chat/ Unicorn Tutor AI: Transforms an institutional curriculum into AI lessons supporting interactive practice. https://unicorntutor.com/ ESLVideo’s Chattybots: Activities such as conversations, role plays, picture descriptions conducted with an AI chatbot. https://eslvideo.com/ TESOL publications on AIChristina Kitson. AI Zip Guide Samaneh Eslamdoost. AI Enhanced ELT: Innovative Strategies to Transform your Classroom William Newman. AI No-Prep Activity Cards See https://submissions.mirasmart.com/TESOL2026/Itinerary/EventsAAG.aspx for the full convention program. And: https://www.TESOL.org/

AI and professional development according to Glenn Stockwell

In this episode, Mat and Phil discuss a book chapter by Glenn Stockwell, in which he writes about professional development and learner training for AI, highlighting the importance of ongoing reflection, learning training, and documenting professional growth. Glenn is the editor in chief of the journal Computer Assisted Language Learning and a professor of Applied Linguistics at the Education University of Hong Kong. In this episode: Glenn Stockwell: https://www.eduhk.hk/en/experts/professor-stockwell-glenn Glenn Stockwell's chapter: Professional development and learner training. https://castledown.online/reference/9781763711600-12/ The book with Glenn’s chapter: Yijen Wang, Antonie Alm, and Gilbert Dizon (Eds.), Insights into AI and language teaching and learning. Castledown Publishers. https://castledown.online/reference/9781763711600/ Mat’s chapter in the same book: ICALL and AI: Seven lessons from seventy years. https://doi.org/10.29140/9781763711600-02

Welcome to Sustained Integrated Professional Development

Language teachers can build their AI competence through the seven guiding principles of Sustained Integrated Professional Development. From starting small to taking a learner’s perspective, from reflecting critically to working with students and peers, as AI continues to evolve. In this episode: Principles of GenAI-SIPD by Phil Hubbard and Mat Schulze: https://www.igi-global.com/gateway/article/full-text-html/378304 Darling-Hammond, L., Hyler, M. E., & Gardner, M. (2017). Effective teacher professional development. Learning Policy Institute. DOI: 10.54300/122.311 https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/sites/default/files/product-files/Effective_Teacher_Professional_Development_REPORT.pdf Matherson, L. H., Wilson, E. K., & Wright, V. H. (2014). Need TPACK? Embrace sustained professional development. Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin, 81(1). Mollick, E. (2024) Co-Intelligence. Living and Working with AI. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/741805/co-intelligence-by-ethan-mollick/

GenAI Stuff you need to know now (part 2)

Mat and Phil return with six additional knowledge areas and skills that language teachers need to navigate AI thoughtfully, including course and lesson creation, assessment, and student misconduct, highlighting the importance of teacher awareness, transparency, and professional judgment in a rapidly evolving landscape. In this episode: Hubbard and Schulze (2025). AI and the future of language teaching: Motivating Sustained Integrated Professional Development. International Journal for Computer Assisted Language Learning and Teaching https://www.igi-global.com/gateway/article/full-text-html/378304

GenAI stuff you need to know now (part 1)

Learning about GenAI? Mat and Phil talk about the first four (of ten) knowledge areas and skills language teachers should aim to have now: prompting, ethics, chatbots, and translation. Combining practical examples with theoretical insights, they discuss these knowledge areas and skills in more detail than they could give in their paper: AI and the future of language teaching: Motivating Sustained Integrated Professional Development (SIPD). This is the second episode of the series and also the second discussion of the position paper on SIPD; episode 1 looked at the technical underpinnings of GenAI. In this episode: Hubbard & Schulze (2025). AI and the future of language teaching: Motivating Sustained Integrated Professional Development. International Journal for Computer Assisted Language Learning and Teaching https://www.igi-global.com/gateway/article/full-text-html/378304 UNESCO. (2024). AI competency framework for teachers. UNESCO Publishing. Available at https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000391104 Educause Framework for AI literacy in teaching and learning (2024) https://www.educause.edu/content/2024/ai-literacy-in-teaching-and-learning/faculty-altl ISTE Whitepaper about evolving teacher education in an AI world: https://1818747.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/1818747/2024_ISTE_whitepaper_EvolvingTeacher_Ed_in_an_AI_World.pdf Paradox Learning AI toolkit for educators: https://paradoxlearning.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/AI-Toolkit-for-Educators_v3.pdf Emily M. Bender & Alex Hanna (2025), The AI Con https://thecon.ai/ Additional reading: Ohashi L. & Hubbard P. (2025). Generative AI ethics: Emerging principles for language teachers. In Ohashi L., Hills M., & Dykes R. (Eds.), Artificial intelligence in our language learning classrooms. Candlin & Mynard. https://www.candlinandmynard.com/uploads/1/2/5/0/12502105/chapter_5_open_access.pdf https://www.candlinandmynard.com/genai1.html

What the LLM?

What is a large language model (LLM), actually? How do these systems work? Why can they feel like human conversation partners, and why is that perception misleading? Mat and Phil open the podcast by answering these questions, and discussing the key implications for language teaching and learning. In this episode: Phil Hubbard: https://web.stanford.edu/~efs/phil/ Mat Schulze: https://PantaRhei.press/mat Emily Bender: https://faculty.washington.edu/ebender/ Open-access position paper on Sustained Integrated Professional Development for GenAI (GenAI-SIPD): https://www.igi-global.com/gateway/article/378304