Speaker
Description
"To commit ourselves to the modernization of Chinese language education through the application of information technology to different areas including curriculum, pedagogy and assessment," reads the mission statement of the Chinese Language Centre (CLC) of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. CLC has long been participating in a number of Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) initiatives, including flipped classrooms and blended learning. This presentation will center on our latest efforts to include artificial intelligence (AI) components, such as GenAI, into our Discipline Specific Requirements Chinese (DSR-Chinese) courses.
Since 2013, CLC has customized DSR Chinese courses for students enrolled in various professional programs. In order to improve their professional language proficiency and get ready for the workforce, students receive workplace Chinese training. With the tremendous effort by our DSR Working Group, CLC has launched projects like "AI-assisted and Inquiry-based Chinese Language Learning for Authentic Learning and Assessment" in response to the recent advancements in GenAI. These projects center on the use of GenAI in the teaching and evaluation of writing, speaking, reading, listening, and integrated skills. Students have experimented with using GenAI tools for essay writing and evaluation when it comes to reading and writing. Students have built their own digital humans to practice speaking and listening, and they can participate in group or individual presentations.
At the end of the semester, semi-structured interviews and focus groups revealed that students were content and welcomed the use of GenAI in Chinese language instruction. They said that with AI's help, learning a language became more enjoyable and engaged, which enhanced their academic achievement. Participating teacher representatives in the focus group discussion agreed that using GenAI in the course was essential, especially for encouraging writing. Furthermore, neither students' writing nor teachers' marking of the assessments this semester was hampered by the addition of GenAI components.
| Keywords | Chinese Language Education, Discipline Specific Chinese, GenAI, digital human |
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