You can buy a lot of English learning apps but you can't buy connection.

The above is the sharing of writer Hoang Anh Tu at the seminar "Application of AI in teaching English in Vietnam in the current context" held on October 15 in Hanoi.

Easy to buy apps but hard to buy connections

Sharing his role as a parent, writer Hoang Anh Tu said that many parents are currently very difficult to please. They want their children to communicate well in English but still want them to have high scores in class - especially in public schools, which is very difficult for foreign language centers.

If this continues, English centers will become "tutoring centers", not bringing joy to learning to students.

Writer Hoang Anh Tu at the seminar (Photo: M. Ha).

Technology has already invaded many stages of education, but according to this expert, to survive in an AI society, learning must be more connected.

Parents are too busy now, they are willing to spend money for their children to learn English well, but the important thing is to create a journey moment between parents and children.

"Every week I still receive notifications from teachers about how my daughter is doing in school and what her results are. This is great, but it doesn't bring joy to the relationship between parents and children in learning.

So instead of thinking about how to use AI to teach, why don't we think about more humane things, which is the connection between parents and children, so that there are more moments for parents and children to bond with each other.

Instead of racing against technology, why don’t we think more about family bonding? For example, through talkshows and podcasts to connect parents with their children on their learning journey, creating more bonding moments in the family.

Parents can buy many applications for their children to learn English, but how to understand children and accompany them on their learning path is a completely different story. That is the humanity in education that no technology can do," said Mr. Hoang Anh Tu.

Associate Professor, Dr. Le Van Canh (middle) and experts at the seminar (Photo: M. Ha).

Can't learn like a machine

Mr. Nguyen Tien Nam, Chairman of SunUni Global Group, also affirmed that AI is smart but cannot replace humans because ultimately we cannot learn like a machine.

Therefore, along with the application of AI, at this facility there are many tasks that are directly supervised by teachers, such as the professional council, the homeroom teacher system, etc., to support learners.

Sharing at the workshop, Associate Professor Dr. Le Van Canh, former lecturer at the University of Foreign Languages ​​(Hanoi National University) said that AI will change completely, radically and redefine all concepts in learning.

For example, AI can personalize learning paths for each student based on data analysis of their abilities and learning needs. Thanks to its ability to process huge amounts of information, AI can automatically grade papers, improve pronunciation, and track student progress without direct teacher intervention.

In addition, using AI can also help students quickly access new knowledge without spending too much time; translation work is no longer as difficult as before or support in learning pronunciation, writing essays...

However, the emergence and amazing effects of AI in teaching and learning English have raised many concerns: Will English teachers be unemployed in a few years because of AI? How to effectively apply AI in education?

"In the 4.0 era, how to collaborate with AI is a difficult problem. The role of teachers will not disappear but will change. Teachers must change themselves and know how to accompany AI teachers," said Associate Professor, Dr. Le Van Canh.

This expert also affirmed that technology can help develop language very well, but what robots cannot do is emotion. Robots also cannot fully understand the subtlety and creativity of language.

Despite the opportunities they provide, robots do not motivate learners. Teachers are the ones who motivate, inspire, guide students in learning methods or analyze information. This is the difference between "real" teachers and "virtual" teachers.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/co-the-mua-nhieu-ung-dung-hoc-tieng-anh-nhung-khong-mua-duoc-su-ket-noi-20241016000158358.htm