UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization) has indicated that AI has the potential to address some of the biggest challenges in education, and innovate teaching and learning practices today. We can also observe the situation that people are gradually becoming accustomed to learning with AI tools. After listening to Professor Chen’s talk, I find this particularly evident, especially in the realm of language learning. That is, the way people learn languages may have changed due to the emergence and innovation of generative AI and educational robots. Consequently, with the growing trend of AI in education, we are gradually breaking down the barriers of language learning. Perhaps, learning a language will become a low-cost endeavor in the future.

​

    When it comes to language learning, using chatbots has been a topic of extensive discussion in recent years, and it is also the central theme of the talk. Regarding using chatbots for language learning, one thing that impresses and even surprises me is that, in fact, the key concept behind designing chatbots is simply to observe human learning abilities and characteristics. Incorporating these traits into the design of tools, and then utilizing these tools to assist humans in learning languages. For instance, as Professor Chen mentioned, when people acquire knowledge, their brains are working together with their bodies, facilitating a quicker recall of what they have learned—an intrinsic human learning characteristic. In addition, if we aim to learn a foreign language, what we have to do is to eliminate barriers and then to increase language inputs. The four common language learning barriers mentioned by Professor Chen—environment, context, opportunity and ownership—can be overcome with the assistance of AI and robots. This revelation impressed me greatly because when we are learning a language, we hardly think of this approach as a starting point, but rather try various methods such as memorizing vocabulary and grammar. Through this talk, I've come to understand that designing a chatbot based on the observation of human learning characteristics can genuinely aid language acquisition, even for babies, by enhancing their language inputs from a very young age.

​

    As for the terms of AI generated texts and dialogues, I perceive them a very standardized rather than humanized model, which may sound unnatural. The American Academy of Pediatrics states, “Between about one and three months of age, your baby will reach some fun hearing and speech milestones. These include smiling at the sounds of your voices and turning their head toward the direction of sound. They'll also begin to babble and imitate some sounds.”(2019) As a result, I have concerns about whether it is a suitable tool for a baby to use at a very young age. Babies tend to imitate those who accompany them in speaking and learning, and we are uncertain if babies will imitate this unnatural way of speaking in the long run and continue to develop it. Therefore, the issue of AI generated texts and dialogues may require further research and analysis to avoid negative impacts on human development.

​

    In conclusion, I agree with that generative AI and educational robots have become innovative tools for people to learn languages, but there are also concerns should be taken into consideration. While the use of AI by humans to overcome language learning barriers represents groundbreaking development and progress, it is crucial to approach and utilize these technologies carefully to avoid potential negative effects on individuals.

 

Reference

The UNESCO Courier (2023) Education in the age of artificial intelligence

Retrieved from: https://www.unesco.org/en/digital-education/artificial-intelligence

 

American Academy of Pediatrics (2019) Hearing & Making Sounds: Your Baby's Milestones

Retrieved from: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/Pages/Hearing-and-Making-Sounds.aspx