Enfoque
As language education continues to evolve, the incorporation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies offers a unique avenue for immersive and engaging learning experiences. Recent research has stressed the positive impact of AI resources on enhancing students’ writing quality, encompassing improvements in both content and organisation (Markuzi et al., 2023). Other effects associated with the integration of AI devices have to do with refining students’ grammar and stylistic choices (Alotaibi, 2023; Lam & Moorhouse, 2021; Toncic, 2020). A noteworthy study by Tambunan et al. (2022) demonstrated that the implementation of Grammarly resulted in a more proficient command of grammar and punctuation among students.
While AI-powered platforms have proven beneficial for the development of speaking skills (Junaidi, 2020; Qiao & Zhao, 2023; Yingsoon, 2021; Zou et al., 2023), contributing to reduced anxiety levels and heightened motivation among language learners (Hapsari & Wu, 2022; Yingsoon, 2021), the potential of AI-generated images is a novel approach to language instruction that remains largely unexplored. These visuals could serve as prompts, sparking creativity and encouraging students to express themselves in the target language.
This study aims at setting a framework for the design of AI-based teaching lesson plans in the field of English for Specific Purposes (ESP), with a focus on Tourism. The proposal presented here, which is addressed to an ESP course offered at a Spanish university, seeks to make use of AI visual generation tools to facilitate the acquisition of subject-specific cultural and linguistic notions. For this purpose, details regarding the curriculum’s defined objectives, learning outcomes, competences, and assessment criteria are provided. Participants in this research would be third-year Tourism students required to demonstrate a C1 English language proficiency level by the end of the course. As part of the assessment criteria, students are tasked to perform an individual presentation on one of the many topics covered during the term (i.e., mass and niche tourism, hallmark events, dark tourism, rural tourism or dark tourism, among others), where AI-generated images should be included. By means of a mixed-methods approach, quantitative and qualitative data will be collected. This entails administering pre- and post-questionnaires to assess students’ familiarity with the tool, its usefulness for the development of academic writing skills and the impact the use of AI-generated visuals may have in Tourism language instruction. The expected outcomes of the educational proposal extend beyond the consolidation of tourism-related content (e.g., vocabulary) and the identification and correction of grammatical errors. It may also encompass the promotion of linguistic creativity and multimodality.
This paper contributes to the ongoing discourse on technology-enhanced language education and its applicability in specialized contexts such as Tourism studies. The assessment of student performance, engagement, and attitudes toward this innovative pedagogical approach will provide insights into its effectiveness in fostering advanced language skills among ESP learners.
Alexia Larchen Costuchen
Comentó el 02/02/2024 a las 12:12:16
Dear Lucía,
Congratulations on the interesting and thought-provoking proposal. Have you experienced any challenges related to the possibilities of the Ideogram software? Did those adjustments accurately correspond to the teacher´s and the students´ learning objectives?
Thank you in advance,
Alexia
Lucía Bellés-Calvera
Comentó el 02/02/2024 a las 12:51:18
Dear Alexia,
Initially, the Ideogram software had a more generic approach to language learning. Adapting it to the specialized discourse of the tourism industry posed challenges, as tasks had to be clearly defined and students had to be taught how to customize content and scenarios to ensure they accurately reflected the communication situations encountered in tourism contexts. As for your second question, these adjustments were in line with the teacher's and students learning objectives considering that they are expected to develop their oral and written communication skills in socio-cultural and professional contexts in the field of tourism. Likewise, they should manage interperesonal communication skills in English and expand their knowledge and use of speacialized vocabulary.
Best,
Sergio Peñalver-Férez
Comentó el 02/02/2024 a las 01:22:41
Dear Lucía,
I want to congratulate you for the framework designed in your presentation and the concise, excellent delivery. While it clearly stresses the importance of incorporating the visual mode into the foreign language learning classroom, I was contemplating the idea of exploiting the semiotics that is often left out or reduced to memorization-based methodologies when applied to collocations, idioms, and figurative language in general. In this way, the "comical" visual representation -thus more literal than the actual meaning to be interpreted- generated by AI could serve as a potential boost in the acquisition process of the aforementioned expressions. What are your thoughts on the feasibility of this proposal? Would it be excessively demanding for the students, though it addresses a difficult part of the language that oftentimes raises numerous challenges when attempting to transfer it to their mother tongue(s)?
Congratulations on the study and thank you in advance.
Sergio
Lucía Bellés-Calvera
Comentó el 02/02/2024 a las 10:16:20
Dear Sergio,
Thank you for your kind words and for your reflections on this presentation. As for your proposal to exploit the semiotics of collocations, idioms, and figurative language through comical visual representation generated by AI, I find it stimulating. It aligns well with the idea of leveraging AI to enhance language learning, especially in areas that traditionally pose challenges. Visual aids can indeed play a crucial role in making these complex linguistic elements more accessible and memorable. In terms of feasibility, it would largely depend on the adaptability of the visual representations and the students' familiarity with the AI-generated comical depictions. Introducing such a method could be an exciting experiment, offering students a fresh and engaging perspective on these linguistic nuances. However, it's essential to strike a balance to avoid overwhelming them. Perhaps incorporating this approach gradually and gauging student feedback along the way could be an effective strategy. I appreciate your thoughtful consideration of potential challenges, such as the demand on students. It's always valuable to be mindful of the learning experience and to create a supportive environment for exploration.
Thank you for your thought-provoking ideas, and I'd be happy to discuss this further or address any additional questions you may have.
Best,
María Daniela Cifone Ponte
Comentó el 01/02/2024 a las 18:39:11
Dear Lucía, your presentation has been very insightful. I am currently teaching English courses to Tourism students and I will try to adapt and employ your proposals.
Do you think this could be adapted to Education students too?
Thank you,
Daniela
Lucía Bellés-Calvera
Comentó el 01/02/2024 a las 21:13:10
Dear Daniela,
I'm delighted to hear that you found the presentation insightful, and I appreciate your enthusiasm to adapt this proposal in your English courses. As regards your question, absolutely, the principles and strategies discussed can be adapted for Education students as well. The key is to tailor the content and examples to align with the specific needs and objectives of the Education field. For Education students, you might consider examples related to pedagogy or to the description of classroom settings.
Best,
Lucía
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