As educators, we know that language is a powerful tool for communication. Natural Language Processing (NLP) is a type of artificial intelligence that teaches computers to read, understand, and use human language, a field of growing importance in modern technology.

Think of it like teaching a computer grammar. Just as we learn to identify nouns, verbs, and the structure of a sentence, an NLP model uses sophisticated syntactic rules to do the same . This ability to break down and interpret language enables AI to perform tasks we interact with every day, such as answering questions, summarising text, or even translating between languages.

Why is this important for our students? Given our responsibility to prepare students for the future (NSW Government, 2024) and the projection of NLP Specialists among the top three AI careers, we must equip students with the skills that will be essential in an increasingly AI-driven world.

By linking English learning to the core principles of NLP, we can empower students to enhance their communication skills across all subject areas while simultaneously acquiring foundational machine learning skills. 

The 'Sentence Slicer' game below is a hands-on way to explore these concepts, providing a simple and fun way to understand how NLP works and the correlations with the English Language.

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