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The use of technologies for language learning has been recommended by the European Commission and the Council of Europe, as also highlighted in the Council Recommendation for a comprehensive approach to the teaching and learning of languages (2019). In remote and blended or hybrid educational scenarios, such as the ones related to the pandemic, learning technologies are crucial and they will probably remain essential in the future of education, as shown in the “Four OECD Scenarios for Schooling”. Within this framework, ICALL (Intelligent Computer Assisted Language Learning), a recent research field, has been exploiting the potential of Artificial Intelligence for developing and improving language competences.

In the academic year 2020-21, a research project was carried out with a sample of Italian university students, to experiment a programme for language learning, based on Artificial Intelligence, named “SmartClass” by Robotel in the English syllabus. The research aimed at investigating the potential of Artificial Intelligence for learning English as a Foreign Language, adopting a multi-method approach and using mainly qualitative tools. Through this programme, it was possible to create tailored interactive activities, assign them to the students and grade them quickly. The programme helped students practise all language skills, also increasing their speaking practice-time by using audio recording, video recording and AI technology-based pronunciation exercises. Thanks to the use of audio and video activities, aimed to model authentic pronunciation and intonation, students could receive immediate feedback, to reflect on their progress. AI has turned out to be the added value of the programme, according to the students’ feedback collected during the focus groups. A specific virtual classroom was created on the university platform, so that the students could interact and exchange ideas and doubts in the forum and in the live sessions with the professor and the tutor. The forum offered the opportunity to discuss relevant linguistic and sociolinguistic issues, an alternative way to teach and learn a foreign language. The SWOT analysis posted by the students in the forum provided interesting input, collecting strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the programme. The students particularly appreciated the modular tailor-made pathway, the immediate feedback, the possibility to record one’s own voice and improve pronunciation and oral skills. They all recognized the added value of Artificial Intelligence for language learning.

References

[1] Scott D., Beadle S. (2014). Improving the effectiveness of language learning: CLIL and computer assisted language learning, European Commission, Brussels.

[2] Council of Europe (2019). Council Recommendation for a comprehensive approach to the teaching and learning of languages.

[3] OECD (2020). Back to the Future of Education: Four OECD Scenarios for Schooling, OECD Publishing.

[4] Cinganotto L. (2021). Imparare l’Inglese con l’Intelligenza Artificiale, La Scuola Sei.