Innovating English Teaching Methods in the Digital Age

In the context of rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), which present groundbreaking opportunities for innovation in education, the Faculty of English at UEF organized a workshop titled “Integrating Artificial Intelligence Into English Language Teaching: Tools, Practices, and Pedagogical Insights” to help faculty members access new tools, methods, and perspectives in foreign language teaching in the digital age.

The event took place on the morning of November 19 and featured various speakers discussing diverse topics, from translation and reading comprehension assessment to creating learning content through music, providing a comprehensive view of how AI can accompany the teaching and learning of English.

The workshop attracted significant interest from numerous UEF faculty members.

Attendees included Dr. Ly Thien Trang, Director of Quality Assurance and Accreditation at UEF; Associate Professor Dr. Pham Huy Cuong, Head of the English Department; Associate Professor Dr. Duong My Tham, Deputy Head of the English Department; and Ms. Nguyen Dinh Tuan, Deputy Head of the English Department.

In her opening remarks, Dr. Ly Thien Trang emphasized that AI is transforming how people approach language, knowledge, and teaching methods. She stated that integrating AI into teaching is not only an inevitable trend but also a crucial responsibility for educational institutions today. According to Dr. Trang, it is essential for faculty to effectively harness AI in a goal-oriented manner to support students in becoming more active and creative learners. Her comments opened an open academic space, highlighting the importance of innovation in teaching and learning in the digital age.

The workshop provided a series of in-depth sessions focusing on new tools, practices, and pedagogical insights in foreign language teaching using AI. The program brought together many speakers with varied topics, reflecting how AI can become a useful “assistant” in modern English classrooms.

To kick off the event, Dr. Nguyen Thi Tuyet Hanh presented “Introduction to AI Tools for Post-Editing in English Language Translation Tasks: Application in Teaching with MemoQ,” analyzing the crucial role of post-editing in the AI era. The speaker pointed out the differences between machine translation and high-quality translations, while suggesting how faculty could use MemoQ in conjunction with AI to enhance translation teaching quality.

Following her, Dr. Hoang Viet Hien shared insights in “From Text to Test: Using AI to Generate Reading Comprehension Items.” This presentation helped participants better understand AI's capabilities in creating reading comprehension questions from original texts, ensuring accuracy, diversity, and alignment with expected outcomes. This solution allows instructors to save time in test design while maintaining evaluation quality.

In a collaborative exchange, Ms. Le Hoang Nhi An and Mr. Le Khanh Hoang approached the innovative topic: “Turning the English Classroom into a Studio: Using AI to Create Music for Language Learning.” The two speakers demonstrated how AI can generate melodies, music snippets, or lyrics aligned with lesson content, thus transforming the English classroom into a “creative studio.” Integrating music with AI enhances focus and aids learners in naturally remembering vocabulary, phrases, and grammatical structures, while enriching the learning experience.

According to the faculty members, AI opens up numerous interactive opportunities that make the classroom more engaging and lively.

The workshop unveiled new perspectives on how to apply AI in foreign language teaching. Not only did it provide tools and methods, but it also sparked a spirit of innovation and creativity in teaching. With a focus on integration and keeping pace with technology, UEF will continue to support faculty in updating modern trends, thereby providing students with an effective, practical learning environment that empowers them in the digital age.