Joy of teaching English in the age of AI | Letter

Letter: Reading and writing are still uniquely human activities even though artificial intelligence can complete complex “English learning” tasks in seconds, says Richard Farmer

Your long read (Teacher v chatbot: my journey into the classroom in the age of AI, 3 March) provides human insight into both the craft and purpose of English teaching in the era of developing AI expertise in language. There is no doubt that if the article were fed into AI models often enough, the teacher’s words and techniques could, at some level, be replicated by AI online teachers.

However, reading and writing, especially that which explores the writer’s thoughts and feelings, are surely uniquely human activities.

As the writer comes to recognise, exploring human experiences through the written word is a highly valuable communal experience. Reading literature aloud in the classroom is the gateway to discussing personal responses to the author’s words. As this discussion becomes more analytical, focusing on nuance and ambiguity, it helps students to understand not only the text but also their responses to it.

Finally, structuring their responses into a written form encourages students to hone these responses in ways that, in turn, allow others to understand their ideas.

In the past few months, I have been amazed by AI’s ability to complete complex “English learning” tasks in seconds. What it can’t do is explore students’ emerging responses to text and their own views with human empathy and understanding.

I loved teaching English for 35 years and I wish all those embarking on their jobs now happy and successful careers.
Richard Farmer
Edinburgh

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