Page 34 - ELG2505 May Issue 494

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INTERVIEW

What’s the real issue? AI or the task itself?

In this exclusive interview, Fabio Cerpelloni sits down with Sophia
Mavridi, a digital learning consultant, teacher educator, and senior
lecturer specialising in educational technology, to discuss the role of

AI in language education.

rawing on her research and AI is not intelligent in the human sense. means understanding not just how to use tools,
classroom experience, Sophia It doesn’t understand meaning or context. but why - linking them to learning objectives,
highlights the importance of It doesn’t engage with emotions or cultural theories of learning, and students’ needs.
Dcritical engagement with AI significance. It generates language based There’s a big difference between using a
tools, the need to educate teachers - not on statistical patterns. This is something tool and teaching well with technology.
just students - about technology, and the teachers and students should know.
challenges and opportunities that come with FC: Do you think new training
integrating AI meaningfully into teaching FC: What strategies can educators courses should be offered on digital
and learning. employ to guide students in using AI pedagogy?
responsibly? SM: Absolutely. Educational systems -
Fabio Cerpelloni (FC): How can AI help SM: We often place the responsibility on including conferences, MA programmes,
students become more independent in the teacher. We say it’s the teacher’s job to undergraduate degrees - need to prioritise
their learning? integrate innovation and educate students this. Too often, conferences seem to focus on
Sophia Mavridi (SM): There are lots of on how to use technology responsibly. But tools, not pedagogy.
ways this can happen. Let’s take writing as who’s educating the teachers? Are they being I published research into postgraduate
an example. AI tools can give feedback on prepared for this? programmes and explored whether and
grammar, vocabulary, coherence, and tone, Let me bring up the pandemic as an how they develop language teachers’ digital
which are all areas where language learners example. When language teachers were expertise. The findings show there’s still a
typically need support. But just having access suddenly thrown into remote teaching—many lot of room for improvement. Degree and
to these technologies doesn’t mean students with little digital background—they were language certification programs need a
know how to use them effectively to improve expected to build the plane while flying it. component not just on how to use tech, but
their writing skills. And they did—with resilience and a lot of on when and why to use it.
Students need a certain level of feedback informal learning. But the pandemic also We need to ask: What’s the purpose of
literacy, which is the ability to interpret, exposed how unprepared the system was. using technology? Are we enhancing students’
evaluate, and apply feedback. Without this, Now the trend is AI. Rather than, by default, learning through it?
interacting with an AI tool might confuse expecting teachers to educate students on how Take Kahoot, for example. It’s a good tool.
students, not least because these tools have to use this technology, I’d flip it: educational But if we only use it for multiple choice, that’s
their flaws. They make mistakes. And by systems must first educate the teachers. And just a digital version of a paper quiz. Fun
“mistakes” I don’t mean glitches or bugs. I don’t mean just training them to use Tool and learning are related—fun can support
I’m talking about a fundamental feature of A or Tool B. Tools are useful, yes—but that’s motivation—but fun on its own doesn’t
how this technology works. not enough. We need digital pedagogy. That necessarily lead to learning.
34 May 2025