Virtual Workshop

6 May 2024

Digital learning environments and Authenticity in ELT 

and Language Education

Traditionally, authenticity in language learning has been associated with genuine communicative contexts and materials. However, with the emergence of digital platforms and interactive technologies, authenticity now extends beyond traditional boundaries, encompassing a diverse range of digital tools and collaborative behaviors. This paradigm shift presents both opportunities and challenges for language educators. Our workshop aims to explore this dynamic landscape of authenticity in digital learning environments, examining how digital tools and AI impact language teaching and learning practices. It will address topics such as the integration of AI-powered tools, the authenticity of digital materials, and the implications for teacher development in the digital era.

PROGRAM (flyer)

All times are in Western European Summer Time (WEST)

10:00 - 10:30 

Welcome Session

Session 1

10:30 - 11:30 

Authenticity: An Anachronism in the Digital Age? (abstract&bio)

Freda Mishan, University of Limerick, Ireland

11:30 - 12:30 

Preparing language educators for the GenAI-embedded world: Keeping things ‘real’ in a world of ‘illusion’ (abstract&bio)

Benjamin Moorhouse, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong

Session 2

13:30 - 14:30

Re-examining authenticity under the agency lens (abstract&bio)

Fanny Meunier, Université catolique de Louvain, Belgium

14:30 - 15:30

Generative AI, pragmatics, and authenticity in second language learning (abstract&bio)

Robert Godwin-Jones, Virginia Commonwealth University, USA 

Session 3

16:00 - 17:00

Use of Digital Tools in Foreign Language Education (abstract&bio)

Blanka Klimova, University of Hradec Kralove, Czechia 

17:00 - 17:15

Closing Session