Opening AI for Language Learning

Aimed at language educators seeking clarity, practical insights, and critical reflections in the rapidly changing AI landscape, the Opening AI for Language Learning (OAILL) podcast explores the evolving intersection of linguistics, pedagogy, and AI in language teaching and learning. Initiated by the Language and Applied Research Center at San Diego State University (SDSU-LARC), it features hosts Mat Schulze, Professor of German and Director of SDSU-LARC, and Phil Hubbard, Senior Lecturer Emeritus at the Stanford University Language Center, longtime colleagues with decades of experience in technology for language education. In place of the all-too-common hype surrounding AI, they offer conversations in which they and occasional guests share their research and practice-informed perspectives, commentaries on others’ work, and their own professional and personal AI experiences. We are grateful for the support for Opening AI for Language Learning by the Language and Applied Research Center at San Diego State University and the Southern Area International Languages Network – SAILN – which is part of the California World Languages Project. Our producer and editor is Chris Brown. Mari Ocando Finol is the production coordinator of OAILL . Our music was composed by Tillmann Spiegl. Live conversations are moderated and the podcast is promoted by Shahnaz Ahmadeian. Episodes drop on Tuesday every 2 weeks. And remember: Artificial intelligence is no substitute for natural ignorance. Links: Phil Hubbard: https://web.stanford.edu/~efs/phil/ Mat Schulze: https://pantarhei.press/mat/ The PantaRhei.press blog about OAILL: https://pantarhei.press/oaill/ The SAILN website about OAILL: https://larc.sdsu.edu/oaill/

Opening AI for Language Learning is a education podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 0 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts Opening AI for Language Learning, a education show with 0 episodes published.

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  Episode #12

  CALICO 2026 in Oxford (Part 2)

  Aug 18, 202637 min

  What can generative AI do for language teaching and learning—and where does it fall short? Mat and Phil beam us back to Oxford, Ohio, for Part 2 of their conversations from the 2026 CALICO Conference, exploring AI for language learning, language teacher education, AI-generated feedback, and conversational AI through four perspectives. Dorothy Chun , Professor Emerita of Education and Applied Linguistics at UC Santa Barbara and recipient of the 2026 CALICO Lifetime Achievement Award, reflects on what decades of experience with language-learning technology can teach us about the current AI moment, including how to move beyond the hype to identify what AI can and cannot do and whether AI can reproduce the social, pragmatic, and intercultural dimensions of human interaction. Bin Zhou , Professor of Applied Linguistics at Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University in China, examines the opportunities and challenges of generative AI for language teachers, including AI feedback and ways educators can incorporate their own pedagogical expertise into general-purpose AI tools. Visiting Professor of Applied Linguistics at Ohio University Francesca Marino considers AI and language teacher education, including how U.S. universities are preparing future language teachers and CALL researchers to integrate emerging technologies. Finally, Ben Altschuler , CEO of Speakology AI, explains how conversational AI can support language learning through realistic AI avatars and teacher-designed speaking activities. In this episode: CALICO 2027 in Fairbanks, Alaska: https://calico.org/calico-2027/ Dorothy Chun: https://education.ucsb.edu/people/emeriti-faculty/dorothy-chun Bin Zhou: https://scholar.xjtlu.edu.cn/en/persons/BinZou/ Francesca Marino: https://webcmsqa.ohio.edu/cas/linguistics/fmarino Ben Altschuler, CEO of Speakology AI: https://speakology.ai/

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  Episode #11

  CALICO 2026 in Oxford (part 1)

  Aug 4, 202633 min

  What are researchers learning about the role of generative AI in language teaching and learning? Recorded live at the 2026 CALICO Conference, Mat and Phil interview Robert Godwin-Jones, Jeffrey Maloney, Mingjun Tang, Kimberly Vinall, and Emily Hellmich about AI for language learning, teacher education, digital literacies, pragmatics, and professional development. The guests discuss both the opportunities and the limitations of AI, sharing practical insights for language educators grounded in their current research. In this episode: Robert Godwin-Jones: https://godwinjones.com/ Jeffrey Maloney: https://jeffreysmaloney.wordpress.com/ Mingjun Tang: https://researchers.mq.edu.au/en/persons/mingjun-tang/ Kimberly Vinall: https://blc.berkeley.edu/people/kimberly-vinall Emily Hellmich: https://blc.berkeley.edu/people/emily-hellmich

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  Episode #10

  What have you GenAI-SIP(pe)D lately?

  Jul 21, 202625 min

  Mat and Phil reflect on what their own Sustained Integrated Professional Development around GenAI looks like in practice. They discuss books, podcasts, courses, tools, and the conversations that are shaping their own learning as they navigate challenges around time, motivation, curiosity, and staying grounded in fast times. They also share what bothers, intimidates, and overwhelms them when they have been learning about and working with GenAI. Phil Hubbard: https://web.stanford.edu/~efs/phil/ Mat Schulze: https://PantaRhei.press/mat OAILL podcast: https://PantaRhei.press/OAILL

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  Episode #9

  AI as the Imitation Game

  Jul 7, 202630 min

  What does it really mean for a machine to "think"? In this episode, Mat and Phil explore the life and legacy of pioneering mathematician Alan Turing, whose work laid the foundation for modern computing and artificial intelligence. From the origins of the Turing Test to whether ChatGPT has truly passed it, the hosts unpack how Turing's ideas provide a valuable framework for thinking critically about GenAI, human communication, and language learning. They also encourage educators to experiment with GenAI tools, reflect on their own interactions with them, and consider both their capabilities and limitations. In this episode: Alan Turing (1936), On Computable Numbers, with an Application to the Entscheidungsproblem . Available at https://www.cs.virginia.edu/~robins/Turing_Paper_1936.pdf Alan Turing (1950), Computing Machinery and Intelligence . Available at https://courses.cs.umbc.edu/471/papers/turing.pdf The Imitation Game (2014), film directed by Morten Tyldum. John Searle's Chinese Room. Available at https://rintintin.colorado.edu/~vancecd/phil201/Searle.pdf

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  Episode #8

  To AI or Not to AI?

  Jun 23, 202630 min

  Exploring two contrasting perspectives on AI in education by Andreas Horn and Emily Bender, Mat and Phil reflect on AI’s promises and pitfalls, what artificial intelligence really means, and how language educators can respond thoughtfully to a technology that is already shaping education. In this episode: Both texts are available at https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000395236 (page numbers below) The whole booklet is UNESCO (2025) AI and the future of education: disruptions, dilemmas and directions. Andreas Horn: Rethinking Education in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (page 38) Emily Bender: We do Not Have to Accept AI (much less GenAI) as Inevitable in Education (page 41) Emily M. Bender: https://faculty.washington.edu/ebender/ Andreas Horn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreashorn1/

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