Winter Webinar Series 2025-26 Integrating AI (SQ)

Integrating AI in Language Education: Research-Based Practices to Support the Modes of Communication

Language educators are called on to navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of GenAI in language learning. As GenAI tools become increasingly sophisticated and accessible, educators face both unprecedented opportunities and complex challenges in providing meaningful instruction. Through evidence-based insights, practical strategies, and collaborative dialogue, this webinar series will equip language educators to make informed decisions about leveraging AI tools thoughtfully while keeping themselves and their learners at the center of the language educational journey.

Click on the titles below to access the recordings, slides and resources for the webinars in this series.

You can also view all the recordings in our YouTube webinar playlist!

Joshua Paiz

(Assistant Dean in the School of Technology at Frederick Community College)

The “Agency Dilemma”: Balancing GenAI Efficacy with Learner Independence

While AI tools can boost writing scores, research shows they may diminish student creativity, agency, and independent thinking. Dr. Paiz will guide participants beyond the “use it or not” debate to explore practical strategies that transform GenAI from a crutch into a true collaborator. Learn “human-in-the-loop” frameworks that ensure AI augments—rather than replaces—learners’ critical thinking and personal voice.

Comments from attendees:

This session helped me reflect on how to use generative AI more thoughtfully with my students.

I would use GenAI to support learning—like giving examples or feedback—while designing tasks that let students think independently and make their own decisions

It raised my confidence in what I believed before – that the agency will not be loosen if students use AI in intelligent ways.

What I found most beneficial about the webinar was everything that was presented. Mostly how we can achieve learner agency and autonomy.

What I found most beneficial about the webinar was the practical framework for balancing the use of GenAI with the development of learner independence.I particularly valued the concrete strategies and examples showing how to design tasks that encourage critical thinking, metacognition, and responsible AI use, while still preserving the learner’s ownership of the learning process.

The presenter’s expertise and application of the examples to increase our critical thinking skills as educators.

Kristen Michelson

(Associate Professor of French & Applied Linguistics in the Department of Classical and Modern Languages and Literatures at Texas Tech University)

The Promises and Perils of Generative AI for Second Language Literacy Development: The Case of Reading

In this webinar, participants will learn:

Criteria for evaluating L2 reading goals across different pedagogical approaches,
Techniques for analyzing the usefulness of AI-generated materials for reading instruction, and
Strategies for guiding learners in using AI to scaffold reading in a foreign language.

Some of what attendees told us they found most beneficial about this webinar:

I would use AI to scaffold reading tasks (e.g., level-appropriate questions or vocabulary support) while ensuring students produce their own responses and engage critically with texts.

My concern was mostly about the learning of vocabulary but she gave some opinions that I’ll definitely use in my lesson planning.

I would incorporate what I learned during this webinar by adapting my teaching strategies to be more student-centred and reflective. The ideas and examples presented helped me understand the importance of engaging learners actively, so I would design activities that encourage participation, collaboration, and critical thinking. In addition, I would apply some of the practical tools and methodologies discussed in the webinar to improve lesson planning and assessment, making my teaching more effective and inclusive.

I plan to integrate the strategies and resources shared into my lesson planning and classroom activities to better support student engagement and learning outcomes.

I will incorporate some of the ideas and practical exercises in my Methods courses for training future WL teachers.

Christiane Reves

(Clinical Assistant Professor and Language Program Director in the New York University Department of German)

Designing Immersive Learning Experiences in the Language Classroom: Leveraging AI for Interpersonal Communication

The session reviews how the need for more speaking opportunities led to the development and integration of a proficiency-standards-aligned AI conversation partner into a hybrid course curriculum. It will highlight examples of AI-supported role plays and communicative tasks tailored to different proficiency levels and communicative goals, demonstrating how AI can enhance the use of authentic materials in the classroom environment. In addition, the webinar examines how educators can leverage collaborations with institutional and external partners to secure support and funding for innovative initiatives.

This conversation invites educators to reflect on and explore how generative AI can open new pathways for immersive, communicative, and accessible language learning.

Some of what attendees told us they found most beneficial about this webinar:

I plan to incorporate what I learned during this webinar by being more intentional about student engagement and differentiation. The strategies shared reinforced the importance of scaffolding instruction and providing multiple entry points for learners. I will integrate more formative assessment techniques to monitor understanding in real time and adjust instruction accordingly.

The most beneficial aspect was learning how AI can support the design of communicative language activities while keeping pedagogy at the center.

I will use the ideas to improve speaking skills of my students. I liked the idea of Language buddy!

What I found most beneficial about this webinar was the practical strategies that can be implemented immediately. The examples were clear and actionable, and I appreciated how the presenter connected theory to real-world application. It gave me concrete tools rather than just abstract ideas.

I will be incorporating the use of AI for worksheet designs and spoken skill practices. Mostly people are hesitant to come forward and express in a classroom but with AI tools and its ethical, professional use in learning settings can assist learners to communicate effectively and according to their required level.

The webinar was very structured and I loved the fact it entailed the Mentimeter questions so people were engaged.

Winter 2026 Webinar Series Recordings: Integrating AI in Language Education