AI as a Means to an End… An Open-to-Interpretations Forum
This interactive session explores how artificial intelligence is reshaping language education, asking whether AI is simply a tool or a transformative force redefining teaching and learning. Participants will be invited to share experiences, challenge assumptions, and discuss the future roles of teachers, learners, and technology.
The Online Open Forum is also a great opportunity for more colleagues to join and learn more about LTSIG, meet the committee, and hear about current and upcoming projects and initiatives. Come with questions, ideas, and an open mind — this forum is about conversation, not conclusions.
Speakers- Thom Jones, Caterina Skiniotou & Hugh Dellar:
Thom Jones has lived in more than a dozen countries and delivered training in over 70. Having been a truly useless student (and proving it frequently by failing all the exams he was set) he started his professional life as a waiter before going into teaching, then management, before going freelance. Formerly part of the senior executive at Embassy CES before becoming Director of Operations USA for Studygroup he returned to the UK to work with Trinity College London and now works with a range of organisations on a wide variety of projects. He is College Principal for an international summer programme in Cambridge each summer. He presents regularly at conferences around the world on a range of topics and is a guest lecturer at four universities. He is also a freelance trainer in business and management. Ten years ago he cycled from the UK to Turkey, travelling through 11 countries. He is Ambassador of Buzz for Express publishing. He is rubbish at maths. His mother thinks he is great.
Abstract: Every conference I’ve been to for the past few years has us all hand-wringing about whether teachers will be replaced by Ai. Then everyone decides we’re irreplaceable, because: humanity. We all smile, clap and go home.
I hate to say this, but I fear we’re missing the boat. The problem is not just that teachers will be replaced by Ai, the more immediate change tech brings is the obvious fact that, five, ten years from now, nobody will ever learn a language again. Why would anyone spend years, painstakingly, building towards a…..B2 in one language; when they can simply use (increasingly, free) interpretation apps etc to effortlessly be a B2 in EVERY language? If you don’t believe me, ask a calculator who can still do maths in their head.And then, content, we don’t even need to know WHAT to write/say anymore, let alone in which language. There’s an app for that. People decry this, ‘No! Thom! We’re better than that! Think of human contact! Love! The face to face joys!”. Yes, of course, those things matter….to us, to most people of teaching age today. But not to our students. Customs, norms, communication models change. Where do we fit in this new day? Teach or tech? What will our students need to know tomorrow, and how can we teach them any of it? And should we try? Bring your own clever, let’s find some answers!
Caterina Skiniotou, born in the Aegean Sea, set out on her voyage to Ithaka 60-something years ago. So far she has taken herself to the Americas, Europe, and the Middle East as a student, language teacher, materials designer, curriculum designer and developer, program director.As she is not in a hurry to reach Ithaka, Caterina is currently involved in facilitating teacher education in regions of conflict and researching game-based learning and dynamic assessment.
Abstract: Meet Asteria, my new colleague, peer observer, and collaborator! Do you miss the days of buzzing staff rooms? Do you smile while reminiscing over moments when you blurted out “You won’t believe what happened in class today!” to the first colleague you bumped into upon entering the teachers’ room? Have your colleagues been your most ardent supporters, harshest critics, and loyal sounding boxes? The post-Covid19 pandemic shift from face-to-face to hybrid, or exclusively online classroom teaching has brought about changes in peer observation and feedback opportunities, as well as uses of reflection tools and media. In this talk, I will share how I have used certain digital tools as tools of reflection and peer feedback in order to explore my beliefs about teaching and learning and how these beliefs shape my teaching; I will also show how the same tools help me gain insight into my students’ preferred learning styles and strategies, design courses, lessons, activities, and games.
Hugh Dellar is co-founder of the online school and training company www.lexicallab.com. He has co-authored two five-level General English series, Outcomes and Innovations for National Geographic Learning, and his first methodology book, Teaching Lexically, came out in 2016. Recently, he worked on ‘Your Top 50 English Questions Answered’ for Wayzgoose Press.
Abstract: The vast bulk of talks on AI are gushing explorations of the myriad ways teachers are implementing AI in their practice, while less frequently there’ll be a more sombre tone struck as speakers explore the environmental damage AI causes or the ways in which it hallucinates or displays bias. In this talk, I’ll look at the very real threat to our employment that AI now poses, consider what it does well, and– crucially – look at how its weak spots suggest practical pedagogical tools we can harness to ensure we are not part of the low-hanging fruit that’s being culled.
