ATC’s Teacher Trainer, Sarah Corrigan, recently held a webinar looking at ways AI (Artificial Intelligence) can be used and utilised by language teachers, scroll to the bottom of the article for the webinar link, and read on for Sarah’s considerations with AI in the language classroom: 
As educators, we’ve always adapted to the changing needs of our learners.
Now, with the rapid integration of AI into education, we find ourselves at the forefront of another significant shift.
At ATC Language Schools, in collaboration with Erasmus Courses Ireland, we recently held a webinar for teachers looking to explore how artificial intelligence can support, enhance, and future-proof language learning in real and practical ways.
The focus of the session was not on theory, but on application. We looked at how AI is already embedded in our students’ digital lives – and how, rather than resisting it, we can guide its use constructively in the classroom.
Crompton & Burke (2023) describe ELT (English Language Teaching) as the most common discipline for AI use in education today, and with good reason. AI tools – particularly large language models like ChatGPT – are already being used by learners for grammar explanations, writing assistance, and pronunciation support. The key question, then, is not whether we should incorporate AI, but how we can do so responsibly, creatively, and effectively.
The Benefits:
AI offers enormous potential. At a basic level, it saves time: lesson planning, content creation, and materials adaptation become far quicker. Beyond that, it allows teachers to tailor materials to individual learner needs, generate fresh ideas, and create engaging, communicative tasks. These tools can help reframe language input, encourage active skills development, and support differentiation – one of the webinar’s core themes.
AI also enhances practice across all four skills. We explored how it can be used to generate transcripts from authentic audio, produce bottom-up decoding activities, and even provide custom feedback on pronunciation. Tools such as AI chatbots and AI generated flashcards offer opportunities for interaction outside classroom hours, helping students build fluency in low-stakes, low-pressure environments.
The Risks:
Of course, integrating AI is not without its challenges. Accuracy remains a major concern: AI can produce fluent but factually incorrect or misleading outputs. Data privacy, bias, plagiarism, and a lack of transparency in how AI generates content all warrant discussion, particularly with learners. Part of our role as educators is to demystify these tools – to help students understand how they work, what their limitations are, and when AI use should be disclosed.
Assessment and Feedback:
One of the most promising areas for AI in ELT is assessment. AI can generate personalised feedback, help design differentiated assessments, and analyse learner language with increasing precision. But we must be cautious. While AI can support the assessment process, it should never replace the professional judgement of a teacher. Transparency in marking criteria, alignment with learning outcomes, and consideration of student progress remain our responsibility.
A Valuable Tool:
The key message of the webinar was clear: AI is an incredibly useful tool for language teaching and learning. AI has already started transforming how we approach language teaching. It helps us plan more efficiently, adapt content to our learners, create genuinely engaging practice activities, and rethink how we assess progress and give feedback. AI has the potential to enhance almost every aspect of the language classroom. Rather than replacing the teacher, it strengthens our ability to meet learners’ needs in more personalised, efficient, and engaging ways.
This webinar was just the beginning of what will be an ongoing conversation.
As AI continues to evolve, so too will our practice.
Our goal is to stay informed, stay critical, and above all, stay student-focused.
If you didn’t see the webinar but you’re intrigued, please see it here – ATC Webinar – Adding AI to the Language Classroom
All of our courses are eligible for Erasmus+ funding, and we welcome international teachers from around the world.
If you’re interested in learning more or exploring practical ideas to bring AI into your language classroom, contact us on info@atcireland.ie or see the full range of our teacher training and development courses – ATC Teacher’s Courses.
(Images included by Pexels.com)