A look into an upcoming book on audio and video-based teaching in the age of generative AI by Prof. Eric Friginal and Prof. Jenifer Ho.
As teacher-researchers at the Department of English and Communication (ENGL), our expertise lies at the intersection of language teaching and learning, communication, and technology. We have embraced the mission to transform language teaching through audio, video, and AI technologies by sharing our insights and experiences with language teachers. In our upcoming book, Effective Audio and Video-Based Language Teaching Practices in the Age of Generative AI (Routledge), we aim to provide a hands-on guide for language teachers seeking to enhance their language teaching and assessment practices by incorporating audio and video-based technologies in the design of teaching materials and assessments, with the assistance of Generative AI in material creation. The book offers practical strategies to empower teachers to become content creators without requiring advanced technical skills.
The rapid advancement of digital technologies has brought unprecedented changes to language teaching. The move from traditional classrooms to hybrid learning environments, the emergence of digital technologies and social media platforms, and the revolutionary development of Generative AI have placed new demands on teachers to become open to new possibilities in language teaching and assessments. No longer the sole gatekeepers and transmitters of knowledge, language teachers now play a crucial role as facilitators co-constructing knowledge with students.
The rise of Generative AI, in particular, is transforming the landscape of language teaching. It challenges language teachers to rethink language teaching and assessment practices to prepare students for the evolving communicative demands which includes the effective use of technologies and multimodal resources to communicate. This shift underscores the urgent need for teachers to integrate technologies - especially audio and video-based tools that mirror the kind of media learners engage with in their daily lives - into language teaching materials to create authentic language learning environments. This change calls for the expertise of applied linguists to provide practical guidance for teachers in navigating this complex terrain.
This book is a call to action for language teachers to embrace technologies that bring innovation to language teaching and assessment practices, thereby nurturing students to be ‘future-ready’ in this rapidly changing world. Instead of viewing technologies as replacing language teachers, we remain confident in our leading role in empowering language teachers and learners to harness the potential of technology through our cutting-edge research.
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Using the text provided above and uploaded to an AI video platform (HeyGen), a podcast-style interview was generated, as shown below. This AI technology can transform a written piece into a simulated TV interview using just a brief excerpt. While the results aren’t perfect and may contain some errors, the process of design and creation has been drastically accelerated by AI.
Some discussion questions that could be used in the classroom after viewing this short clip:
1. How does the female speaker’s use of discourse markers reflect the natural flow of conversational speech? Discuss whether these markers enhance the authenticity of the AI-generated dialogue or if they feel artificial or overused in this context.
2. In what ways do the speakers' backchannels and overlaps mirror the dynamics of real-life conversations? Consider whether these elements contribute to a sense of spontaneity or if there are moments where their timing feels awkward or forced.
3. What specific parts of the AI-generated interview feel unusual compared to natural human speech? Reflect on how factors like pacing, tone, or the placement of interruptions and overlaps may differ from the rhythm of an actual interview. Could these differences affect how the audience perceives the content?
