Since language learning is social, where does AI come in?

We use language to communicate. This is a social process. When we speak, we imagine

or really have listeners. When we listen, the speaker

is seeing or imagining us. When we write, we anticipate readers and we read what

others have written. Language changes and evolves based on the participation

of communicators. And so language learning is

also a social process. When we communicate

with other humans, we get feedback on whether we are understandable

or believable. This helps our brain recognize where it needs to

notice new patterns, learn new vocabulary, or

understand a cultural context. Unfortunately, when we are trying to improve

our language skills, humans are not always available

to communicate with us. For years, we have been

able to complement real human interaction with listening and responding

to video recordings, interacting with

text as readers, and asking spelling and grammar

apps for basic feedback. Now, of course, with wide

availability of generative AI, we have another vast resource to complement real human interaction

in language learning. This is where AI comes in. We can extend and accelerate our social language learning by mimicking some of the

things we would like to do socially with a

generative AI tool. AI can support us in defining a communication context and our communication

goals in that context, in getting language exposure, in studying, and in

doing language practice. It is important that we use our own brains to

reflect on each stage in the CRESP process so that this reflection will support

our language learning. But even here, we can

find ways for AI to be helpful without

leaving our brains out of the learning process.