Pre-Service Teacher Attitudes Towards AI in Foreign Language Learning

Enfoque

In a world where every area of our life is experiencing constant and rapid changes due to the unstoppable progress of Artificial Intelligence (AI), its effects on education are a highly discussed topic. Specifically, its implication on language learning is believed to be particularly important in a society that is becoming increasingly multilingual due to globalization and mobility between countries. In that context, and considering their task of forming the new generations, teachers come to play an essential role in the acceptance and development of AI.

The objective of this exploratory qualitative study is to explore the perceptions, attitudes, and concerns of pre-service primary teachers (n = 83) of the University of Córdoba (Spain) regarding the use of Artificial Intelligence in foreign language learning. All the participants took part in an activity in which they had to use the Speech Analyser feature of the AI tool ELSA Speak (https://elsaspeak.com/). Then, opinion essays written by the participants were used as the instrument to collect the data. The instrument had two sections: (i) Pros and cons of using AI for language learning; and (ii) Personal experience using AI for language learning. The qualitative analysis of the data was made with Atlas.ti, identifying three main categories: advantages, disadvantages, and risks.

After their experience with AI, the findings demonstrated participants’ keen interest and favourable outlook on AI, as the number of entries coded regarding the advantages was the highest of all of them (54.92%). Moreover, the subcategory “benefits” was one of the most mentioned ones, referring to the positive experience that they had while using AI. Considering those, it is interesting to see how the thoughts of the pre-service teachers mostly line up with the ideas suggested in the literature. Regarding the advantages, we could highlight the improvement in language skills, assessment, adaptability, resources, accessibility, and motivation. As for the disadvantages, difficulties in classroom implementation, lack of human factor or reliability. Lastly, the most mentioned risks were technical limitations and dependence, as well as those associated with the young age of primary age students. In that last category, teacher training was proposed as a solution to the negative aspects of AI in education.

In conclusion, this research adds to the existing literature, reaching the conclusion that AI can have a positive influence on language learning while considering potential risks and drawbacks that need to be worked on. Additionally, and with teacher training being noted as an essential part of the use of AI in education, studies like this one play an essential role in the success of this type of technology, representing a step in the right direction as they give educators the opportunity to reflect and learn about AI. Furthermore, a gap in the literature was found in relation to AI in Primary Education language learning. Hence, the importance of this study is amplified, though further research is needed to delve deeper into this field of knowledge.