How AI is Shaping the Field of Language Tutoring

With emerging AI technologies like ChatGPT coming into the scene, there are a lot of discussions among teachers. Is AI a help or a new challenge? Can it make teaching better, or does it take away the personal connection that makes learning meaningful? To get some answers, I sat down with Iryna Arlova, the founder of GLAGOL, the school of foreign languages, to hear her take on how AI and teaching can work together.

What do you think about the influence of AI on language tutoring? Have you or your students felt this impact?

ChatGPT and similar chatbots act just as tools in our toolkit. They are like a knife – handy for many tasks, but they can't replace the hand that holds them. They need a human's guidance to really shine. Teaching, particularly language tutoring, thrives on personal or group interactions. It's about the exchange between individual-to-individual or individual-to-group, not tool-to-person or tool-to-group. Moreover, everyone's on a unique learning path: some are just starting out; others have different amounts of time to dedicate. These AI tools can't tailor their approach to each person's needs like a human teacher can.

ChatGPT is pretty useful for prepping educational materials or aiding in translation. A teacher, for instance, can use it to turn text into learning resources, breaking it down into digestible chunks, pulling out handy expressions, and providing examples. It's a solid aid for lesson preparation. But the core essence of teaching, the stimulus-response in a conversation, is missing with ChatGPT. Take a simple dialogue, where a question is asked and answered, even as straightforward as offering and accepting a cup of tea. This question-answer dynamic is crucial to learning a language, and that's where ChatGPT falls short.

So, you don’t believe it will replace teachers, do you?

No, I don't. It can't take the place of teachers. It might replace translators to an extent, but teaching is all about service, about human interaction. Even as tech becomes more affordable, the value and cost of private classes are on the rise. No innovation, be it Siri, voiceovers, or ChatGPT, can substitute the human touch, facial expressions, or the engagement you experience in a classroom, be it offline or online. Every conversation with a teacher has its own vibe, especially if there's a good rapport with the teacher. This human element – reactions, and engagement – is something you just can't replicate. That's the real essence of learning, and it's something AI is missing.

With the hype around ChatGPT for language learning, do you see new challenges for teachers or language schools? Will debunking myths about AI's role in language learning be necessary?

It's easy to get carried away with the promise of easy solutions, especially when technology presents itself in such a shiny package. But at the end of the day, nothing can replace the guidance and encouragement a teacher provides. Language schools have always been in the business of not just teaching but guiding students on how to learn effectively. Despite the plethora of resources – books, videos, apps – students still struggle to speak and understand a foreign language. ChatGPT is just another resource in this vast ocean. This conversation isn't new; it's the same one we had when books were introduced, and then again with online translators.

This idea is appealing but not realistic for most. People need someone to look them in the eye, even if it's through Zoom, to provide real-time feedback and encouragement. Trying to master a language through AI tools can lead to frustration or even a loss of motivation.

Teaching also encompasses a psychotherapeutic dimension. The emotional journey during learning facilitates a deeper, more natural understanding of the language. It's a highly interactive, emotionally charged process.

These tools might help you save time on initial text generation or translation, but they still require a human for refinement. It might cut down the time spent by two-thirds, but without that human editing, the text clearly reveals its machine-generated origins.

People are always on the lookout for an easier way, a magic pill. Despite the allure of new tools, the basic recipe for language learning remains unchanged: engage with a knowledgeable teacher, dedicate time, and actively participate in the process. The search for shortcuts often brings us back to where we started, realizing the irreplaceable value of human interaction and guidance in the learning journey.

There's been a discussion about reshaping creative fields by automating routine tasks, which in turn, makes true experts stand out more. Do you think a similar trend might manifest in the teaching field, especially for those with unique methodologies? Can AI be utilized to augment teaching effectiveness?

That's an insightful question. I envision myself being part of a team honing such AI, as there is a vast expanse of professional growth on the horizon. One prospect I find exciting is the potential for AI to provide real-time feedback on language usage, helping pinpoint and correct errors with detailed explanations, sort of like a digital extension of a teacher's guidance.

When I observed modern teaching methods and compared them to traditional, sometimes outdated, approaches, I found that a unique methodology significantly impacts learning efficacy. Technology might sweep away those clinging to ineffective, outdated methods, urging them to adapt or refine their expertise. However, the scenario you mentioned around creative professions resonates with teaching to some extent. AI can reduce the time spent on material development, enabling a teacher to focus more on individual student interaction.

In a broader philosophical sense, I don't see AI as competition but as a tool that, if utilized correctly, could elevate the experience. It's about enhancing the service, not replacing it. The personal touch in teaching is its core essence, and that's something technology can't replace.