“AI is your friend, not your enemy” was the title to my Keynote. That statement can sound provocative in a hall full of language teachers. We have all seen the headlines warning that translation tools are destroying motivation, that chatbots are replacing writing, that students are outsourcing their thinking. It is understandable to feel cautious. Yet when we look at the evidence and, more importantly, at what is actually happening in classrooms and with actual teachers and language learners, a more balanced and optimistic picture emerges.
There is a persistent fear that instant translation will remove the need to learn another language. If a phone can translate, why struggle with grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation? And yes, some learners report that translation tools reduce their motivation, but most do not. The majority remain motivated to learn languages even while using AI tools. Large international surveys of teachers show that human-led language learning remains irreplaceable, and scepticism that AI will replace teachers any time soon. Motivation has not collapsed. It has shifted. The environment has changed, and our role as teachers is not to resist that environment but to shape how students learn within it.
The reality is that students are already using AI, and many are using it daily. They practise speaking and receive feedback, summarise texts, brainstorm ideas, generate content, build flashcards, simulate exams and converse with chatbots. For many learners, AI has quietly become a personal assistant. Ignoring this will not make it disappear. Harnessing it, however, can transform our teaching.
One of AI’s most powerful contributions is psychological. Language learning is emotionally demanding. Students fear embarrassment. They worry about making mistakes. They hesitate to speak. AI provides a non-judgemental partner that is infinitely patient. It offers immediate help, avoids public correction, reduces anxiety and gives affirmative feedback. Learners can rehearse privately before speaking in class. For shy or anxious students, this is not a minor advantage; it can be transformative. Increased confidence often leads to increased engagement and engagement is the engine of progress.
The research evidence supports this. I showed the two major teta-studies examining AI tools in English language learning that report significant improvements in achievement. Reviews of AI-powered chatbots for speaking practice describe strong effects on oral proficiency, interaction and motivation. We are not discussing novelty tools; we are seeing measurable impact. When AI enhances interaction, it enhances language learning, because language learning is interaction.
Voice-based AI is particularly powerful for EFL. A learner can say, “Be my Spanish tutor at B1. Speak slowly, use everyday topics and stop often with questions,” or “I’m A2 French. Keep sentences short and correct me after I finish.” They can switch between languages, practise hotel check-in roleplays, request dictation, drill minimal pairs such as “ship” and “sheep,” practise connected speech like “Whaddaya wanna do?” or complete article drills choosing between “a,” “an,” “the” and zero article. The feedback is immediate and personalised. Each learner can operate at their own level, repeat as often as needed and progress at their own pace. This is differentiation without leaving anyone behind.
AI fits beautifully with Papert’s principle of high ceiling, low floor and wide walls interface. A beginner can have simple, structured conversations – low floor An advanced learner can debate ideas, analyse arguments or rehearse professional interviews – high ceiling The same tool accommodates a wide range of ability levels and creative directions – wide walls.
There is also a deeper pedagogical reason why AI works so naturally in language teaching. From Socrates onward, learning has been understood as dialogue. Socratic questioning draws out thinking. Bakhtin emphasised that meaning emerges through multiple voices in interaction. Vygotsky described the “knowledgeable other” who mediates learning within the learner’s Zone of Proximal Development. AI does not replace the teacher, but it can function as an additional knowledgeable other, available whenever the learner needs it. The teacher remains the orchestrator of learning.
Many teachers are already experimenting. They use AI to create lesson plans, generate materials, personalise exercises, design assessments and increase student engagement. At the same time, many feel underprepared. This is not a reason to retreat; it is a reason to invest in professional development. Teachers need permission to prompt, and students need permission to prompt wisely.
Assessment is another area where AI fits naturally. It can analyse spoken presentations, generate targeted feedback, turn transcripts into personalised error-based flashcards, create grammar drills based on actual student mistakes and help design video-based assessments. What once required hours of marking can now become rapid, formative feedback. Used thoughtfully, AI strengthens rather than weakens assessment for learning.
Perhaps most inspiring is the global dimension. AI systems now support hundreds of languages, including many that have historically lacked digital presence. Initiatives focused on low-resource languages aim to reduce language inequality in technology. Oral traditions can be digitised through mobile devices. Minority languages can gain visibility and vitality online. AI is not simply serving English; it is expanding linguistic possibility.
So where does that leave us as teachers? Precisely where we have always been: at the centre. AI cannot build human relationships. It cannot replace cultural nuance, empathy, humour or inspiration. It can amplify what we do. It gives learners rehearsal space, lowers anxiety, personalises practice, provides role-plays, and multiplies exposure to language. It gives teachers creative leverage and new forms of feedback. It extends dialogue beyond classroom walls.
AI does not diminish language teaching. Used well, it strengthens it. It fits like a glove. The glove does not replace the hand. It enhances what the hand can do.
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