AI-Driven Language Pedagogy for Less Commonly Taught Languages: Juliano Saccomani

Leveraging AI-Powered Tools in Less Commonly Taught Languages: Practical Applications and Critical Reflections

The Elahé Omidyar Mir-Djalali Institute of Iranian Studies in collaboration with the Department of Middle Eastern Studies and the Center for Middle Eastern Studies, University of Chicago jointly present AI-Driven Language Pedagogy for Less Commonly Taught Languages on Saturday, January 24, 2026, 1:00 p.m. (Eastern Time: Canada and US).

Abstract:
The proposal of this webinar is to help instructors in Less Commonly Taught Languages (LCTLs) by showcasing a few transformative applications of Al-powered tools to critically expand on their classroom practice. The format of the presentation will be twofold: on the one hand, it will feature practical uses of Al-powered tools to develop activities for task-based language teaching contexts; on the other hand, participants will be invited to assess the significance of those tools to meet classroom goals based on the PICRAT framework for the adoption of technology in education. Current discussions around the ethical use of Al-assisted teaching will also be worked into the webinar, with attention being given to common issues, such as over-reliance and bias that are sometimes present in those engines. As suggested by Godwin-Jones, there are a number of ways language students can benefit from limited, responsible use of "[Al-powered tools],"indicating the potential of these technologies when carefully implemented. Hence, beyond the initial presentation and discussion of Al-powered tools, one of the ultimate goals of this webinar will be to initiate a discussion on what such cases would be when maintaining the students as the main beneficiaries of the activities, while we also consider the burden on the instructors and the overall goals for the course. Due to the novelty of the use of these technologies in language teaching, some of the tools being presented are still undergoing testing, and their impact is also being assessed. Audience members will be invited to share their feedback, explore tool adoption, and foster collaborative discussions to refine and contextualize webinar insights for broader educational applications.

Bio:
Juliano Saccomani is an Assistant Instructional Professor in Portuguese and Spanish at the University of Chicago. His current pedagogical explorations focus on the use of Virtual Reality as an aid to the teaching of languages and cultures in the foreign language class, with the recent addition of Al-powered tools. Dr. Saccomani is the director of the Spanish and Portuguese Virtual Reality Initiative at the University of Chicago, for which he received the NLRC 2025 MAFLT LCTL Innovation Award in the classroom activity category. He is also the editor-in-chief of Revista Vaeranda, an online magazine for students of Romance Languages and Cultures at the University of Chicago.

Zoom Meeting Registration: https://utoronto.zoom.us/meeting/register/i5HR3liYShGHU9rXmcg6cw
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