This blog post was written by Jérôme Nogues.
About the author of the post:
Jérôme Nogues has taught for over 20 years in London and in Shropshire, in state and independent schools. He is an EPI enthusiast, previously Head of Languages and Digital Learning in a small prep school near Shrewsbury. He has a passion for education technology and its use in and out of the classroom to enhance teaching and learning. He regularly leads CPD sessions for fellow teachers to develop their IT skills face to face or online. He is the creator of Poésíæ, the global MFL poem recitation and art competitions. He has been involved in co-writing, editing and adapting a number of books for the Language Gym. He also enjoys publishing videos on his YouTube channel as well as creating resources for various language educational providers.
As a language teacher with over 20 years of experience integrating educational technology, I have seen first-hand the ability of tools like AI chatbots to enhance language learning when thoughtfully implemented. Chatbots are AI programs designed to simulate natural conversation through textual or voice interactions. Throughout my career, I have leveraged technology to provide personalized and interactive learning experiences that engage students and augment my in-class teaching.
The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) marks a particularly exciting leap forward. With capabilities like adaptive learning, instant feedback, and conversational interaction, AI has immense potential to amplify language education. However, it’s critical to remember that technology serves as a supplement, not a substitute, for human teachers. The guidance nuanced cultural insights, emotional intelligence and inspirational support we provide remain irreplaceable.
I recently discovered an impressive example of AI’s possibilities in the language learning platform Mizou. Launched in 2023, Mizou utilizes intelligent AI algorithms to create customized chatbots tailored to each student's needs and interests. Unlike many pre-programmed bots, Mizou’s chatbots dynamically adapt in real-time to how students interact with them. This promotes active learning and makes conversing with the chatbots more engaging and fun. As a teacher, I can easily create my own chatbot lessons or choose from Mizou’s large library of premade chatbots spanning diverse subjects and grade levels. After creating a chatbot on perfect tenses in just minutes, I was thrilled by the quality and simplicity of the process.
Examples of chatbot in French
Mizou chatbots offer many advantages over traditional methods for reviewing material. The bots provide instant feedback on student answers, allowing them to immediately correct any mistakes. This helps cement language acquisition. The chatbots also adjust the difficulty and pace to suit each learner individually, ensuring students remain challenged but not overwhelmed. Additionally, they can tirelessly handle repetitive vocabulary and grammar drills, freeing up class time for me to focus on higher-order learning.
Mizou stands out as a more suitable option for schools compared to GPT due to its affordability and tailored design for educational settings. Being a free tool for both educators and students, it alleviates financial barriers often associated with technology adoption in schools. Furthermore, its intuitive design and specific focus on educational activities make it more accessible and easier to integrate into classroom learning than the more general and technically complex GPT.
By providing personalized and interactive AI activities, Mizou enriches traditional teaching. Yet it does not aim to replace the emotional connections, nuanced instruction, and inspirational support only human teachers can impart. I highly recommend fellow language educators give Mizou a try as a supplement to amplify your teaching.
I advise you to have a play: https://mizou.com/
Jérôme Nogues' blog post on harnessing AI for language teaching is a must-read! If you want to save and review key insights from this post, I recommend using the Screen Capture tool from Screen Capture . It's perfect for non-commercial use, making it easy to capture and revisit valuable content on AI's impact in education.