AI in the Classroom Part II: The Role of the Teacher & The Role of AI

Balancing Roles: Teachers and AI in ESL Classrooms

Teachers are known for going above and beyond for their students, spending countless hours brainstorming new ways to motivate their students and support them in their learning journey. Teachers require tools and supports that can keep up with the quality of lessons they provide. 

AI tools can alleviate lesson-planning stress and save time, when designed to fit the needs of teachers and students. As students advance, the AI platform can advance with them, allowing each student to practice at a level that pushes them forward. The integration of AI tools provides teachers with essential support in lesson planning, removes the limitations of the classroom, and monitors student progress, thereby elevating the educational experience.

The Role of the Teacher

Teachers go beyond their role as language instructors, taking on vital roles as counselors, mentors, and cultural experts for their ESL students. They offer essential human interaction, support, and connection both during and beyond class time. This personalized and compassionate instruction is necessary for students to maintain motivation in their language learning journey. Feeling understood and cared for are pivotal factors for student success. Teachers guide goal-setting, boost confidence, and foster a safe learning environment in their classrooms. 

Additionally, teachers are a crucial resource to assist students in understanding cultural norms and non-verbal communication in the English language and culture. This necessary context gives students the tools they need to succeed in English-speaking interactions and appear culturally competent across all areas of communication.

With such a long list of duties both inside and outside the classroom; it is not surprising that teacher time is a valuable commodity in short supply.

Teachers go beyond their role as language instructors, taking on vital roles as counselors, mentors, and cultural experts for their ESL students.

The Role of AI

When thoughtfully designed, AI becomes a dynamic ally for both teachers and students. By tailoring individualized practice sessions, AI dissolves traditional classroom boundaries, empowering students to engage in targeted learning anytime, day or night. Without the restrictions of class time, students receive evaluations at their convenience, allowing them to concentrate on specific problem areas and refine their skills. As well, AI delivers immediate, direct feedback in the absence of human interaction. This not only fosters a secure environment but also alleviates anxiety for shy students and beginners, who may be sensitive to criticism from teachers and peers.

FLOW Speak is a modern AI speaking platform that customizes the capabilities of AI to meet the needs of English language learners and teachers. Serving as a bridge, FLOW Speak extends guided language exercises beyond the classroom and allows students to build confidence at their own pace. It guides students through AI-powered speaking practice and provides precise, personalized feedback on their pronunciation, fluency, and speed. This enables students to recognize and remedy their mistakes in real time.

Moreover, practicing a phrase repeatedly is essential for speaking with the confidence and fluency of a native speaker. FLOW Speak’s “Try Again” feature allows students to practice a phrase an unlimited number of times. With each repetition, students will receive a score with a breakdown for each word. Students can also listen to the phrase before or between attempts, training their ear to pick out subtleties in the language. This enables students to approach mastery of new topics and expressions. 

By tailoring individualized practice sessions, AI dissolves traditional classroom boundaries, empowering students to engage in targeted learning anytime, day or night.

Successful AI Integration in the Classroom with FLOW Speak

Designed to work alongside teachers, FLOW Speak is a proven tool for improving students’ speaking confidence. FLOW Speak has conducted several case studies to measure the impact of their platform in action. From these studies the results are clear; when used together with traditional teaching methods, student speaking confidence increased tremendously.

Custom Courses to Extend Class Time

Portland Community College’s Ms. Camacho designed a custom course with FLOW Speak that aligned with the in-class curriculum for their summer program. FLOW Speak was used as a practice tool outside of class time. Students reported that the “Try Again” feature was beneficial to their learning process, allowing them to master new phrases or sentences by repeating them until they felt confident. 

At the end of the summer, 90% of students felt that their speaking confidence had improved using FLOW Speak, 80% found the app to be a convenient tool to practice English, and 80% would recommend FLOW Speak to a friend. 

Friendly Competition to Sustain Self-Practice

Another case study was conducted with an English Speaking Club in Turkey which only met for an hour per week. The instructor, Kimberly Gardner, found “FLOW Speak was the perfect tool” to increase her students’ practice hours outside of scheduled lesson time. Her 22 students completed over 1,000 lessons on FLOW Speak in just 8 weeks! 

Gardner integrated FLOW Speak into her evaluation criteria, requiring a minimum of 50 completed lessons during the course. She also held a competition for the student with the highest Confidence Level score which motivated students to participate. Gardner fostered camaraderie by updating students weekly on the front runners, instilling competition awareness, and creating a supportive atmosphere for mutual celebration.

Unlocking the Potential of AI in the Classroom

Integrating AI in traditional and virtual classrooms presents new possibilities that were not available to teachers before. While teachers remain the primary support for their students, AI tools offer additional benefits and motivation when employed successfully. 

Integrating AI in traditional and virtual classrooms presents new possibilities that were not available to teachers before.

In the journey of mastering a new language, repetition and consistent practice are key. Students need to continue their practice outside of class time to see improvement and feel confident in their learning. AI tools enable language practice anywhere and give students personalized evaluations of their work even in the teacher’s absence. Employing AI tools thoughtfully and purposefully amplifies an ESL classroom and provides lasting benefits for students.