Innovation in Language Learning

With the rapid proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI), the digital shift in higher education is no longer optional—it is a crucial transformation that must be both embraced and critically addressed [1]. In world language education, while AI offers promising possibilities for enhancing teaching and learning, it also presents uncharted territory, raising complex concerns around job security, ethical use, equity and access, data privacy, and the evolving professional development needs of instructors. Although a growing body of research explores students’ use of AI for language and cultural learning, there is a notable gap in the literature examining the teacher’s inner landscape—their perceptions, experiences, and reflections in navigating this technological transition. This presentation draws on the interrelated frameworks of autoethnography [2] and sociocultural theory [3, 4] to describe one language teacher’s lived experience observing students’ engagement with AI during a one-month study abroad program. Drawing from student surveys, post-program interviews, field notes, and reflective journals, the study explores (1) students’ use, familiarity, and instructional needs related to AI tools for language learning, cultural immersion, and travel logistics, and (2) the teacher’s evolving role as a co-navigator of uncertain digital terrain. This inquiry surfaces the teacher’s assumptions, vulnerabilities, and critical reflections on how emerging technologies intersect with the deeper values of language education.