INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CHANGES IN EDUCATION
Review
Aug 27, 2024 1 1

Exploring the Role of Generative AI in Enhancing Language Learning: Opportunities and Challenges

Edwin Creely 1 *
1 Faculty of Education, Monash University, Australia* Corresponding Author
International Journal of Changes in Education, 1(3), 2024, 158-167, https://doi.org/10.47852/bonviewIJCE42022495
Publication date: Aug 27, 2024
Full Text (PDF)

ABSTRACT

Contemporary advances in generative AI technology have sparked considerable interest regarding its application in language education. This article explores the innovative impact that AI-powered linguistic educational tools may have, such as customized learning journeys, dynamic content, and individualized feedback mechanisms, which collectively have the potential to enhance language acquisition. At the same time, it is important to recognize the constraints associated with such technologies. Concern about maintaining precision and genuineness within AI-crafted language texts is an issue in the literature. There is also caution about AI’s current inclination to standardize language expression and to propagate limited cultural narratives, alongside the risks of overreliance on technology which may diminish analytical thought and inventiveness. This article examines the ethical considerations involving generative AI, such as the authenticity of creative work and the ownership of intellectual output. Emphasizing the necessity for clarity and conscientiousness in the application of AI, this conceptual article outlines the opportunities, limitations, and ethical concerns associated with generative AI in language instruction. This article advocates for a well-rounded strategy that
leverages the positive aspects of generative AI within language education, while also addressing possible drawbacks and championing an ethical and equitable approach to language learning in the emerging AI-centric digital landscape. A model for forging thinking in this new research and practice space is offered to synthesize many of the possibilities of generative AI in language education.

KEYWORDS

Generative AI language education language learning ethics

CITATION (APA)

Creely, E. (2024). Exploring the Role of Generative AI in Enhancing Language Learning: Opportunities and Challenges. International Journal of Changes in Education, 1(3), 158-167. https://doi.org/10.47852/bonviewIJCE42022495
Harvard
Creely, E. (2024). Exploring the Role of Generative AI in Enhancing Language Learning: Opportunities and Challenges. International Journal of Changes in Education, 1(3), pp. 158-167. https://doi.org/10.47852/bonviewIJCE42022495
Vancouver
Creely E. Exploring the Role of Generative AI in Enhancing Language Learning: Opportunities and Challenges. International Journal of Changes in Education. 2024;1(3):158-67. https://doi.org/10.47852/bonviewIJCE42022495
AMA
Creely E. Exploring the Role of Generative AI in Enhancing Language Learning: Opportunities and Challenges. International Journal of Changes in Education. 2024;1(3), 158-167. https://doi.org/10.47852/bonviewIJCE42022495
Chicago
Creely, Edwin. "Exploring the Role of Generative AI in Enhancing Language Learning: Opportunities and Challenges". International Journal of Changes in Education 2024 1 no. 3 (2024): 158-167. https://doi.org/10.47852/bonviewIJCE42022495
MLA
Creely, Edwin "Exploring the Role of Generative AI in Enhancing Language Learning: Opportunities and Challenges". International Journal of Changes in Education, vol. 1, no. 3, 2024, pp. 158-167. https://doi.org/10.47852/bonviewIJCE42022495

REFERENCES

  1. Fui-Hoon Nah, F., Zheng, R., Cai, J., Siau, K., & Chen, L. (2023). Generative AI and ChatGPT: Applications, challenges, and AI-human collaboration. Journal of Information Technology Case and Application Research, 25(3), 277–304. https://doi.org/10.1080/15228053.2023.2233814
  2. Boden, M. A. (2018). Artificial intelligence: A very short introduction. UK: Oxford University Press.
  3. Bozkurt, A., Karadeniz, A., Baneres, D., Guerrero-Roldán, A. E., & Rodríguez, M. E. (2021). Artificial intelligence and reflections from educational landscape: A review of AI studies in half a century. Sustainability, 13(2), 800. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13020800
  4. Creely, E. (2022). Conceiving creativity and learning in a world of artificial intelligence: A thinking model. In D. Henriksen & P. Mishra (Eds.), Creative provocations: Speculations on the future of creativity, technology & learning (pp. 35–50). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-14549-0_3
  5. Luckin, R., Holmes, W., Griffiths, M., & Corcier, L. B. (2016). Intelligence unleashed: An argument for AI in education. UK: Pearson Education.
  6. Kruk, M., & Peterson, M. (2020). New technological applications for foreign and second language learning and teaching. USA: IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-7998-2591-3
  7. Trust, T., Whalen, J., & Mouza, C. (2023). Editorial: ChatGPT: Challenges, opportunities, and implications for teacher education. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 23(1).
  8. Williams, T. (2023). GPT-4’s launch ‘another step change’ for AI and higher education. Retrieved from: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/gpt-4s-launch-another-step-change-ai-and-higher-education
  9. Bown, O. (2012). Generative and adaptive creativity: A unified approach to creativity in nature, humans and machines. In J. McCormack & M. d’Inverno (Eds.), Computers and creativity (pp. 361–381). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-31727-9_14
  10. Heaven, W. D. (2020). OpenAI’s new language generator GPT-3 is shockingly good—And completely mindless. MIT Technology Review, 29, 1–6. https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/07/20/1005454/openai-machine-learning-language-generator-gpt-3-nlp/
  11. Lim, W. M., Gunasekara, A., Pallant, J. L., Pallant, J. I., & Pechenkina, E. (2023). Generative AI and the future of education: Ragnarök or reformation? A paradoxical perspective from management educators. The International Journal of Management Education, 21(2), 100790. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijme.2023.100790
  12. Kohnke, L., Moorhouse, B. L., & Zou, D. (2023). Exploring generative artificial intelligence preparedness among university language instructors: A case study. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 5, 100156. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2023.100156
  13. Galaczi, E. (2023). English language education in the era of generative AI: Our perspective. UK: Cambridge University Press and Assessment.
  14. Zhou, G., & Niu, X. (2015). Approaches to language teaching and learning. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 6(4), 798–802. https://doi.org/10.17507/jltr.0604.11
  15. Su, J., & Yang, W. (2023). Unlocking the power of ChatGPT:A framework for applying generative AI in education. ECNU Review of Education, 6(3), 355–366. https://doi.org/10.1177/20965311231168423
  16. Liang, J. C., Hwang, G. J., Chen, M. R. A., & Darmawansah, D. (2023). Roles and research foci of artificial intelligence in language education: An integrated bibliographic analysis and systematic review approach. Interactive Learning Environments, 31(7), 4270–4296. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2021.1958348
  17. Pokrivcakova, S. (2019). Preparing teachers for the application of AI-powered technologies in foreign language education. Journal of Language and Cultural Education, 7(3), 135–153. https://doi.org/10.2478/jolace-2019-0025
  18. Craig, C. J. (2022). The AI-copyright challenge: Techneutrality, authorship, and the public interest. In R. Abbott (Ed.), Research handbook on intellectual property and artificial intelligence (pp. 134–155). Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781800881907.00013
  19. Borgmann, A. (1984). Technology and the character of contemporary life: A philosophical inquiry. USA: University of Chicago Press.
  20. Borgmann, A. (2006). Real American ethics: Taking responsibility for our country. USA: University of Chicago Press.
  21. Renau, M. L. (2016). A review of the traditional and current language teaching methods. International Journal of Innovation and Research in Educational Sciences, 3(2), 82–88.
  22. Baidoo-Anu, D., & Ansah, L. O. (2023). Education in the era of generative artificial intelligence (AI): Understanding the potential benefits of ChatGPT in promoting teaching and learning. Journal of AI, 7(1), 52–62. https://doi.org/10.61969/jai.1337500
  23. Brynjolfsson, E., Li, D., & Raymond, L. R. (2023). Generative AI at work. (NBER Working Paper No. 31161). National Bureau of Economic Research. Retrieved from: https://library.unimelb.edu.au/recite/referencing-styles/apa7#working-papers
  24. Vandewaetere, M., & Clarebout, G. (2014). Advanced technologies for personalized learning, instruction, and performance. In J. M. Spector, M. D. Merrill, J. Elen & M. J. Bishop (Eds.), Handbook of research on educational communications and technology (pp. 425–437). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3185-5_34
  25. Grassini, S. (2023). Shaping the future of education: Exploring the potential and consequences of AI and ChatGPT in educational settings. Education Sciences, 13(7), 692. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13070692
  26. Major, L., Francis, G. A., & Tsapali, M. (2021). The effectiveness of technology-supported personalised learning in low-and middle-income countries: A meta-analysis. British Journal of Educational Technology, 52(5), 1935–1964. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13116
  27. Chen, X., Zou, D., Xie, H., & Cheng, G. (2021). Twenty years of personalized language learning. Educational Technology & Society, 24(1), 205–222.
  28. Bozkurt, A., & Sharma, R. C. (2023). Challenging the status quo and exploring the new boundaries in the age of algorithms: Reimagining the role of generative AI in distance education and online learning. Asian Journal of Distance Education, 18(1), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7755273
  29. Tlili, A., Shehata, B., Adarkwah, M. A., Bozkurt, A., Hickey, D. T., Huang, R., & Agyemang, B. (2023). What if the devil is my guardian angel: ChatGPT as a case study of using chatbots in education. Smart Learning Environments, 10(1), 15. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40561-023-00237-x
  30. Kim, J., Lee, H., & Cho, Y. H. (2022). Learning design to support student-AI collaboration: Perspectives of leading teachers for AI in education. Education and Information Technologies, 27(5), 6069–6104. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10831-6
  31. Liu, B. (2021). In AI we trust? Effects of agency locus and transparency on uncertainty reduction in human–AI interaction. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 26(6), 384–402. https://doi.org/10.1093/jcmc/zmab013
  32. Sanders, N., & Wood, J. (2021). Combining humans and machines in an emerging form of enterprise: The Humachine. Foresight: The International Journal of Applied Forecasting, 61, 28–35.
  33. Bozkurt, A. (2023). Generative artificial intelligence (AI) powered conversational educational agents: The inevitable paradigm shift. Asian Journal of Distance Education, 18(1), 198–204. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7716416
  34. Woo, J. H., & Choi, H. (2021). Systematic review for AI-based language learning tools. arXiv Preprint: 2111.04455. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2111.04455
  35. Nassaji, H., & Kartchava, E. (2021). Corrective feedback in second language teaching and learning. In H. Nassaji & E. Kartchava (Eds.), The Cambridge handbook of corrective feedback in second language learning and teaching (pp. 1–20). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108589789.001
  36. Lipnevich, A. A., & Panadero, E. (2021). A review of feedback models and theories: Descriptions, definitions, and conclusions. Frontiers in Education, 6, 720195. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2021.720195
  37. Qadir, J. (2023). Engineering education in the era of ChatGPT: Promise and pitfalls of generative AI for education. In 2023 IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1109/EDUCON54358.2023.10125121
  38. de Cremer, D., Bianzino, N. M., & Falk, B. (2023). How generative AI could disrupt creative work. HarvardBusinessReview, 13. https://hbr.org/2023/04/how-generative-ai-could-disrupt-creative-work
  39. Mikalef, P., & Gupta, M. (2021). Artificial intelligence capability: Conceptualization, measurement calibration, and empirical study on its impact on organizational creativity and firm performance. Information & Management, 58(3), 103434. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.im.2021.103434
  40. Moruzzi, C. (2021). Measuring creativity: An account of natural and artificial creativity. European Journal for Philosophy of Science, 11(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13194-020-00313-w
  41. Schober, R. (2022). Passing the turing test? AI generated poetry and posthuman creativity. In H. Nagl-Docekal & W. Zacharasiewicz (Eds.), Artificial intelligence and human enhancement: Affirmative and critical approaches in the humanities (pp. 151–166). De Gruyter. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110770216-009
  42. Nah, F., Cai, J., Zheng, R., & Pang, N. (2023). An activity systembased perspective of generative AI: Challenges and research directions. AIS Transactions on Human-Computer Interaction, 15(3), 247–267. https://doi.org/10.17705/1thci.00190
  43. Roose, K. (2022). A.I.-generated art is already transforming creative work. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/21/technology/ai-generated-art-jobs-dall-e-2.html
  44. Horvati´c, D., & Lipic, T. (2021). Human-centric AI: The symbiosis of human and artificial intelligence. Entropy, 23(3), 332. https://doi.org/10.3390/e23030332
  45. Peeters, M. M. M., van Diggelen, J., van den Bosch, K., Bronkhorst, A., Neerincx, M. A., Schraagen, J. M., & Raaijmakers, S. (2021). Hybrid collective intelligence in a human–AI society. AI & Society, 36, 217–238. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-020-01005-y
  46. Schwartz, O. (2018). Competing visions for AI: Turing, Licklider and generative literature. Digital Culture & Society, 4(1), 87–106. https://doi.org/10.14361/dcs-2018-0107
  47. Humble, N., & Mozelius, P. (2019). Artificial intelligence in education—A promise, a threat or a hype. In Proceedings of the European Conference on the Impact of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, 149–156.
  48. Tzirides, A. O., Saini, A., Zapata, G., Searsmith, D., Cope, B., Kalantzis, M., ..., & Kastania, N. P. (2023). Generative AI: Implications and applications for education. arXiv Preprint: 2305.07605. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2305.07605
  49. MacDonald, M. N., Badger, R., & Dasli, M. (2006). Authenticity, culture and language learning. Language and Intercultural Communication, 6(3–4), 250–261. https://doi.org/10.2167/laic252.0
  50. Kushner, E. (2003). English as global language: Problems, dangers, opportunities. Diogenes, 50(2), 17–23. https://doi.org/10.1177/0392192103050002002
  51. Köstler, L., & Ossewaarde, R. (2022). The making of AI society: AI futures frames in German political and media discourses. AI & Society, 37(1), 249–263. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-021-01161-9
  52. Yu, H., & Guo, Y. (2023). Generative artificial intelligence empowers educational reform: Current status, issues, and prospects. Frontiers in Education, 8, 1183162. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2023.1183162
  53. Ahuja, K., Diddee, H., Hada, R., Ochieng, M., Ramesh, K., Jain, P., ..., & Sitaram, S. (2023). MEGA: Multilingual evaluation of generative AI. arXiv Preprint: 2303.12528. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2303.12528
  54. Yağiz, O., & Izadpanah, S. (2013). Language, culture, idioms, and their relationship with the foreign language. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 4(5), 953–957. https://doi.org/10.4304/jltr.4.5.953-957
  55. Ferrara, E. (2023). Fairness and bias in artificial intelligence: A brief survey of sources, impacts, and mitigation strategies. SSRN Preprint. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4615421
  56. de Vasconcellos, S. L., da Silva Freitas, J. C., & Junges, F. M. (2021). Digital capabilities: Bridging the gap between creativity and performance. In S. H. Park, M. A. Gonzalez-Perez & D. E. Floriani (Eds.), The Palgrave handbook of corporate sustainability in the digital era (pp. 411–427). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-42412-1_21
  57. Padget, S. (2013). Creativity and critical thinking.UK: Routledge.
  58. Creely, E., Henriksen, D., Crawford, R., & Henderson, M. (2021). Exploring creative risk-taking and productive failure in classroom practice. A case study of the perceived self-efficacy and agency of teachers at one school. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 42, 100951. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2021.100951
  59. Eshraghian, J. K. (2020). Human ownership of artificial creativity. Nature Machine Intelligence, 2(3), 157–160. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42256-020-0161-x
  60. Zhuo, T. Y., Huang, Y., Chen, C., & Xing, Z. (2023). Red teaming ChatGPT via jailbreaking: Bias, robustness, reliability and toxicity. arXiv Preprint: 2301.12867. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2301.12867
  61. Crawford, J., Cowling, M., & Allen, K. A. (2023). Leadership is needed for ethical ChatGPT: Character, assessment, and learning using artificial intelligence (AI). Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice, 20(3), 02. https://doi.org/10.53761/1.20.3.02
  62. Mhlanga, D. (2023). Open AI in education, the responsible and ethical use of ChatGPT towards lifelong learning. In D. Mhlanga (Ed.), FinTech and artificial intelligence for sustainable development: The role of smart technologies in achieving development goals (pp. 387–409). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-37776-1_17

LICENSE

Creative Commons License
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.