VietTESOL 2024 takes place on July 27 and 28 at Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics, with the theme "English Education in the Age of Artificial Intelligence".

AI has the biggest impact on English

As one of the speakers at the conference, Dr. Adam Edmett - Director of Educational Technology Innovation at the British Council - said that artificial intelligence is shaping the way English is taught, learned and assessed. He emphasized that studies show that English is the subject that AI is having the strongest impact on, more than all other subjects such as math or science...

In his presentation titled “The Impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on English Language Teaching and Learning: Preparing for the Future”, Dr. Adam Edmett outlined the new opportunities that AI can bring to foreign language education in the current context.

Specifically, AI technologies such as software-based learning, natural language processing, and generative artificial intelligence have changed the way teachers and students approach foreign language teaching and learning.

Additionally, AI applications and platforms enable optimized and personalized learning.

Typically, ChatGPT acts as an assistant that can answer many questions and concerns according to the needs of the learner. Many English learning apps can integrate AI to analyze the user's learning progress and provide the most suitable exercises.

According to Dr. Adam Edmett, AI is not only beneficial for learners but also supports teachers. For teachers, many AI applications are helping to save their efforts by automating repetitive tasks such as grading assignments, tests, classroom management, and supporting the search for learning materials. AI applications allow teachers to focus on creative teaching activities and interact directly with students.

“With the advantages come some challenges. The data collected for AI models can be biased towards English-speaking countries. There are also some privacy and security risks, especially for learners,” said Dr Adam Edmett, adding that the British Council is conducting a number of studies to provide frameworks for applying AI to English teaching and learning in the future.

Meanwhile, Professor Nguyen Hoa - Chairman of VietTESOL Association, a member of the conference's organizing committee - noted that students should choose applications and learning tools that are suitable for their learning goals and styles. AI only provides more and richer tools, but the learner's self-study role is still very important to master a foreign language.

On the teachers’ side, Professor Nguyen Hoa said they need to have AI literacy and be aware of issues related to the ethical use of AI. In particular, teachers should create a balance between combining traditional teaching methods and AI tools to create a diverse learning environment.

Teacher Capacity Building

This year's VietTESOL International Conference attracted more than 500 speakers and participants from domestic and foreign units, organizations, schools and academies. The conference was attended by Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Van Phuc - Deputy Minister of Education and Training, Dr. Nguyen Tien Dung - Deputy Director of the Department of International Cooperation...

Mr. Davide Guarini Gilmartin - Director of Academic Affairs, British Council Vietnam - said that at this year's VietTESOL International Conference, the British Council contributed many experts to share experiences, present the latest research on English teaching methods, as well as projects to improve the capacity of English teachers. This year's conference theme meets the needs of many teachers in the context of strong AI development.

Mr. Davide Guarini Gilmartin shared that over the years, the British Council has always been interested in improving teachers' teaching capacity, because teachers play an important role in teaching and learning English.

The British Council often creates opportunities for teachers in Vietnam to access new research, new methods… to help them gain more teaching experience. The VietTESOL conference is also such an opportunity. Ultimately, the students of teachers who participate in these events will be the ones who benefit the most.

Prof. Dr. Su Dinh Thanh - Director of Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics - assessed that VietTESOL 2024 brings participants in-depth knowledge, updates on the latest trends, as well as analysis of multi-dimensional and new perspectives in teaching and learning English. This is also an opportunity to learn from leading experts in the fields of English teaching in the new era.