Kostka - Generative AI in Language Education: Rewards, Risks, and Reboots

A webinar presented by Ilka Kostka, Northeastern University on March 13th, 2024. The second in a three-part webinar series on using AI in the language classroom, 𝘙𝑒𝘣𝑜𝘰𝑡𝘪𝑛𝘨 𝘓𝑎𝘯𝑔𝘶𝑎𝘨𝑒 𝐸𝘥𝑢𝘤-𝘈𝐼-𝑡𝘪𝑜𝘯. For slides and handouts, see: Abstract: Advancements in generative artificial intelligence (AI) have garnered tremendous attention across disciplines and industries, and language education is no exception. At present, we are teaching, learning, and working in a world that is being increasingly impacted by generative AI on an almost daily basis. One of the most popular applications, ChatGPT, was made available to the public in November 2022, sparking both excitement and fear about responsible use, academic integrity, and data privacy (Tlili et al., 2023). In turn, a growing body of scholarship has explored the use of ChatGPT and other generative AI applications to support language instruction (Kohnke et al., 2023; Kostka & Toncelli, 2023), inform in-class activities (Warner, 2023), and build students’ 21st-century skills (Hié, 2023). Despite the mixed feelings that many educators have about generative AI, few can deny that these programs have tremendous implications for both English and world language instruction. The primary goal of this webinar is to collectively explore and critically examine the role of generative AI in language education. We begin with a brief overview of key concepts related to generative AI before examining the benefits and rewards it may offer language educators. We then discuss the risks inherent to generative AI adoption, as well as the ethical considerations that instructors should know to both teach their students about AI and use it in their own work. Finally, we consider how language education may be “rebooted” for pedagogical innovation and address pressing questions that will impact the field moving forward. During the webinar, I will provide examples from my classes to show how I have used generative AI in both teacher-facing and student-facing ways and share preliminary findings from classroom-based research projects conducted over the past academic year. This webinar is geared toward all language educators with a range of knowledge and experience using generative AI; technical expertise is not required. Bio: Dr. Ilka Kostka is a teaching professor at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. She teaches English language courses to undergraduate and graduate international students, develops and evaluates language programs, manages graduate courses, and supports instructors. She received her PhD in bilingual education from New York University, where she examined ways of teaching source-based academic writing to multilingual learners. Dr. Kostka’s current scholarly activities focus primarily on approaches that support English language learning, such as the flipped learning model and computer-assisted language learning. Over the past year, she has been incorporating generative artificial intelligence (AI) into her work by experimenting with varying tools, planning workshops for faculty, and conducting research with colleagues. Before teaching English as a Second Language, Dr. Kostka was a German language instructor at universities in Connecticut and New York City. She has also taught English in China and lived and studied in Germany. She is the current Secretary of Northern New England TESOL (NNETESOL) and serves on the Board of Directors of Literacy Volunteers of Greater Worcester, which provides literacy and language instruction to immigrants and refugees in central Massachusetts.