ChatGPT and DALL-E are going viral and as their reach continues to expand around the world, hopes and warnings about artificial intelligence (or AI) are also growing.
At the University of Melbourne, Professor Yong Zhao says the rapid rise of AI means that machines are now better at translation than most human foreign language learners. It’s a reason why he believes that teaching languages should now focus on global competence.
While the sophistication levels of technology continues to evolve, Professor Zhao says AI-based computer programs that haven’t yet had as much attention may have a significant impact on foreign language education in schools, globally.
Machine translation software automatically translates text or speech from one language into another. Although the technology has been around since the 1950s, significant progress to improve its capabilities have occurred over the several decades since. Google Translate, Microsoft Translator, DeepL, Alexa Translations are all examples of how the technology is used in daily life.
How many languages can be translated, as well as the accuracy of translation can vary wildly, depending on the tool. Google Translate can translate more than 100 languages, while others translate far fewer.
And the quality of translation can vary a lot – as does the ease of use and access.
But, says Professor Zhao, when it comes to teaching foreign language education in schools, the potential implications of machine translation needs to be talked about.
A key goal of any foreign language education is to help students become competent enough in a language that they can converse with native speakers of that language.
To support that aim, curriculums in foreign language courses focus on competence in writing, reading, speaking and listening in that language.
The language of learning
But despite the efforts of teachers – and even when students are genuinely interested and enthusiastic – the reality is that many students finish language lessons as far from competent after one to four (or even ten) school years.
Very few students achieve native (or near native) speaker proficiency.
The main reason is that time spent learning the target language in schools is limited. In most schools, the maximum number of hours per week is three to five class hours. In a school lifetime, that adds up to between 80 to 130 learning hours – not enough time to acquire proficiency in a second language.
Learning a language at home
Secondly, students are unable to access opportunities to practice communication in the second language, and with passing tests seen as more important than actually acquiring the language, the chance that students in foreign language courses will become competent speakers is slim.
Putting culture at the core of language learning
AI enables us to rethink foreign language education, says Professor Zhao – and that could make a positive difference to the way language education is taught.
By focusing on developing global competence, students can explore their ability to investigate the world, recognise perspectives, communicate ideas and take action, says Professor Zhao.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) defines global competence as “a multi-dimensional construct that requires a combination of knowledge, skills, attitudes and values successfully applied to global issues or intercultural situations.”
In 2018, PISA conducted its first global competence assessment of 15-year-old students around the world, and global competence has been accepted as a core skill for thriving in the 21st Century.
Global competence education in an AI world
In an already crowded curriculum, asking schools to teach global competence is challenging. Its ideal home is within foreign language courses but, by making this part of foreign language courses, the changes to assessment, content and teaching methods in these courses would be significant.
Still, Professor Zhao believes it must be considered.
‘If machines can do better than most human foreign language learners in communicating in another language and traditional foreign language courses have generally failed to make students competent, the primary focus of foreign language courses for the majority of students should be culture and global competence,” he says.
