612/24, 2:04 aM [A Tools forthe Four Skis Engish Language Learning | TESOL Connections | TESOL Intemational Association TESOL Connections | TESOL International Association KEEPING ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFESSIONALS CONNECTED Al Tools for the Four Skills in English Language Learning by Matthew Sussmann | 15 Apr 2024 It seems like everyone is talking about artificial intelligence (Al) these days. What are the inventors of Al talking about, meanwhile? Education. Prominent leaders in the Al industry, such as ChatGPT cofounder and chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, are eager to demonstrate how Al can positively impact learning, as highlighted in his 2023 TedX talk (https://www,ted,com/talks/ilya_sutskever_the_exciting_perilous_journey_toward_agi? hasSummary=true&language=en)_ As English teachers, how do we make sense of this revolution in technology? How will Al affect the process of teaching and learning English? | began my career as an English language teacher almost 30 years ago, at a time when the internet was just ‘emerging in the mid-90s. My teaching journey in Japan paved the way for a variety of roles in education, including arranging intemational intemships, coordinating study abroad programs, and administering scholarships and research grants. The internet's evolution has brought us online video calls, podcasts, social media, YouTube, and Netflix. While not initially designed for educational purposes, these online tools have become immensely popular and beneficial tools for multilingual learners of English. Now, with the advent of Al tools, we stand at the starting line of another transformative era in English language teaching (ELT). These new tools have the potential to speed up the learning process significantly. Al Tools Are Just Beginning to Flourish Al tools offer two distinct advantages over current online tools and traditional materials. First, Al is interactive, allowing for a two-way learning process that promotes independent thinking, For instance, while leamers typically passively consume content such as podcasts and online videos, Al tools require active participation, whether through writing or speaking, thereby demanding greater mental focus. | have witnessed numerous instances where both teachers and leamers have been thrilled by the responsive nature of A ipso! orglattesistatlesla-tools-or-the-our-skil.n-englsh anguage-learning! 16612/24, 2:04 aM [A Tools forthe Four Skis in English Language Learning | TESOL Connections | TESOL Intemational Association Second, interaction with Al can provide instant and detailed feedback for rapid improvement. For example, let's consider a learner who wants to improve her speaking skills. She has to wait in the real world for occasions to meet English speakers and have similar repeated conversations to receive feedback on her accuracy and comprehensibility. On the other hand, using Al tools for language learning, she could repeat the same practice conversation and receive feedback an unlimited number of times. This is an exciting time for teachers, too. They have the chance to shape how this technology will be used and integrated into classrooms. Another advantage of Al for teachers is that they will have access to much more data to track and guide student progress. In the past, when you assigned a reading assignment, you could not be sure if your students had actually read it. With the Al tools available today, you have the option to access insights, including: when your students choose to read the assignment (perhaps right before class?), how long they spend reading it, how many times they read it, and what words they look up. These insights can then be applied to guide your lesson planning and teaching. Teacher Input Is Still Key Although Al tools bring many advantages for ELT, the integration process is critical to ensuring they are used effectively in English language classrooms. In other words, simply providing the tools to students will not be sufficient. | am convinced that teachers lead the way, and the Al tool is a supplement. It's important to choose the correct tool for your course goals, test it thoroughly, give students targeted instructions, and model how to use the tool successfully to support their learning. Another key issue for implementing new Al tools effectively is making sure students can easily access and get support, especially if they have low digital literacy skills. When introducing an Al tool or app, | recommend showing students in class how to make a new account using their email and creating a password. Encouraging students to use their school-provided emails can also facilitate the smooth adoption of new tools. Additionally, if feasible, providing instructions for downloading the app onto their personal de\ showing students how to access lessons with a simple tap on the icon can reduce frustration and simplify use. ses and Which Al Tools Work Best for English Language Teaching? As an ELT professional, now is the perfect time to experiment with Al tools. Imagine witnessing more of your students overcome hurdles because you found the right tool for them. New apps can support student learning nips solorglattesistatlesla-tools-or-the-our-skil.n-englsh anguage-learning! 216612/24, 2:04 aM [A Tools forthe Four Skis English Language Learning | TESOL Connections | TESOL Intemational Association in each of the traditional four skills, Here are a few tools worth trying: Listening Speechify (https://speechify,com))_can “read to you." It allows adjustments to listening speed and inolut the option to choose from various voices, such as celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow and Snoop Dogg Otter.ai_(http://otter.ai) provides Al-powered transcription services, allowing teachers to create transcrip! of audio content for enhanced listening practice, For example, teachers can choose segments from a poc for current news or a conversation that students can read for greater comprehension. Teachers could als: omit some words from the transcript as “blanks” and challenge students to try to fill in the words by listeni Reading Readlang (https://readlang.com/) assists learners in reading foreign language texts by providing instan word translations and Al-generated, contextual vocabulary definitions. Speaking FLOW Speak (https://www.flowspeak.io/education) * empowers learners in building confidence and fluency through unlimited speaking practice with Al-powered feedback on pronunciation, speed, fluency, ¢ grammar. Speaking is often the area that students most want to improve, but classroom time is limited. N students can practice as much as they like. Teachers can access an insightful admin dashboard to track « for their students’ response scoring, time spent on lessons, and number of attempts. Writing Grammarly (https://www.grammarly.com/) , ProWritingAid (htt som), Slick Write (https://www.slickwrite.com/) , QuillBot_(https://quillbot.com/), and Al Email Writer (https://workspace, google.com/marketplace/app/ai_email_writer/931037258446)_are practical tools refining writing skills. One way of using these tools is to assign students the task of drafting sample email replies to sample messages. This approach allows students to quickly understand the practical applicatio the tools in their lives. Consequently, when faced with an actual email to respond to, they will feel less intimidated. In short, we are at the beginning of an exciting era for Al tools in ELT. EdTech companies are eager for feedback and ideas from teachers to improve their products, so do not be surprised when they go the extra mile to support you. By becoming early adopters and embracing these tools now, teachers can stay ahead of the curve, and students will reap the benefits *The author is one of the creators of FLOW Speak. (https://my.tesol.org/news/873203) Also In This Issue nips solorglattesistatlesla-tools-or-the-our-skil.n-englsh anguage-learning! 36eee, 208m 1 Tools for he Four Skis in English Language Learning TESOL Connections | TESOL Iteration! Assocation + Sparking Student Success with Professional Learning Communities (/te/2-4/sparking-stude! with-ples) * Context Connections: Beyond Borders: Embracing Translingual, Transnational, and Transracial Pedagogies (/tcl2-4/context-connections-april-2024) + TESOL Annual Report: 2023 in Retrospective _(/tc/2-4/tesol-annual-report-2023) » PD Comer: From Novice to Master: Transformative Teacher Training That Works (/tc/2-4/pd-corner-april- 2024) + TESOL 2024 International Convention Highlights (/tc/2-4/tesol-2024-conven hts) » TC Quiz: Commonly Confused Words in English _(/tc/2-4/tc-quiz-april-2024/) Read This Issue (/articleslist/categor Recent TESOL Blogs + Teaching About Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha: Activity Ideas for Your Classroom (/blog/posts/teaching-about- nd-eid-al-adhae leas-for-your-classtoom/) Earth Day 2024: Classroom Activities for Multilingual Learners of English (/blog/posts/earth-day-2024- classroom-activities-for-multilingual-learners-of-english/) r nvé nection: + Taylor Swift, Global Literacies, and ELT: Are You Ready for It? (/blogiposts/taylor-swift-global-literacies- and-elt-are-you-ready-for-it/) TC Quiz Commonly Confused Words (larticleslist/articles/te-quiz-april-2024/ 15 Apr 2024 ntps:twwwtesolorganiclesisvaiciesia-tools-fr-she-four-sils-in-english‘anguage tearing! 46eee, 208m 1 Tools for he Four Skis in English Language Learning TESOL Connections | TESOL Iteration! Assocation + April 2024 (Volume 2-4) (/articleslist/categories/april-2024-volume-2-4/) * Skills (/articleslist/cate: s/classroom-practice/skills/ + Educational Technology (/articles|ist/categories/classroom-practice/educational-technology/) About the author Matthew Sussmann Matthew Sussman is the CEO and cofounder of New Voice Learning, based in San Diego, CA. The company has built FLOW Speak, which uses Al voice technology to empower leamers to speak English confidently for career success. Prior to this, he was the executive director for Fulbright Japan. Matt enjoys making banana waffles and surfing with his three kids on the weekends. -sussman-4730872/) Email (https://www.insta: © 2024 Copyright TESOL International Association About TESOL (/about!/#) Privacy Policy ( policy/) Code of Conduct {/code-of-conduct/) Terms of Use (/terms-conditions/#) ntps:twwwtesolorganiclesisvaiciesia-tools-fr-she-four-sils-in-english‘anguage tearing! 5i6612/24, 2:04 aM [A Tools forthe Four Skis in English Language Learning | TESOL Connections | TESOL Intemational Association nips solorglattesistatlesla-tools-or-the-our-skil.n-englsh anguage-learning!