Call for Special Collection on AI and Language Education
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Languages, Society and Policy (LSP) is an open access online journal publishing high-quality peer-reviewed language research that addresses issues concerning languages, cultures, and societies in accessible and non-technical language. We promote engagement with policy makers, journalists, and stakeholders in education, health, business, and elsewhere.
LSP publishes Collections of policy papers on special themes to highlight current issues and encourage a synthesis of emerging policy ideas and challenges around specific topics.
We are delighted to announce that Andrew Caines, Christophe Gagne and Rebecca Woods will be Guest Editing a Collection on AI and Language Education working with LSP Editor Dora Alexopoulou.
We are, therefore, inviting submissions of policy papers for the Collection, addressing one or both of the following questions.
(i) What are the consequences of AI technologies for educating the next generation of linguists?
(ii) How can we cultivate a richer and broader understanding of language across secondary and A-level curricula to prepare young people not only for the workplace, but, equally for active citizenship and personal life in a highly automated society?
Contributions might consider some of the questions below.
What are the opportunities and limits of AI in education?
Is there a danger that AI will lead to de-skilling in languages in future generations? Will reliance on AI tools for tasks requiring good language skills (e.g. editing, translation, interpreting, etc.) mean a deterioration in language skills?
What are the ethics of using AI tools, either commercial or non-commercial, in educational settings?
How does the integration of generative AI tools in higher education impact traditional concepts of academic integrity and student autonomy?
Is there potential for AI-based language learning tools to complement or support language teaching
Can an AI-assistant replace a human teacher or a classroom? Is learning without social grounding possible? Can AI agents be trusted?
Is teacher feedback possible without empathy and a holistic understanding of the student as a human being?
How can proprietary AIs with commercially-driven attributes, that are updated regularly, be used ethically and consistently in the educational space?
How can a humanistic approach to AI and Education be implemented that empowers teachers and learning? See for example UNESCO publications and guidelines since 2021 https://www.unesco.org/en/digital-education/ai-future-learning
How can teacher and student data (interactions, language productions, grades etc.) be harnessed for the public good and the advancement of public education? Can we achieve a framework where data generated in schools is shared with public research organisations for continuing innovation within and advancement of state education?
How can an understanding of what language learning models are, how they work and their profound differences from
What are the consequences of AI for areas of human creativity (e.g. creative writing, lyricism, drama, letter writing)? Is creativity possible without experiences rooted in real life? What are the core differences between people and AI in areas like translation, providing feedback on student work, and interactions in different sociolinguistic contexts?
To what extent AI can support social aspects of language learning?
Important dates
September 28th: An abstract of 500 words submitted to lsp@mmll.cam.ac.uk
October 30th: Authors of selected abstracts invited to submit a full paper by 30th of December 2026.
February 15th: Reviews to authors.
March 30th: Revised drafts submitted.
April 30th: Final Corrections submitted.
May 2027: Publication of Collection
Important
Please make sure to read the LSP submission guidelines.
In your abstract, please make sure to indicate the research underpinning your policy paper as LSP papers are based on previously peer reviewed publications in specialist research outlets.
LSP team
For further inquiries please email lsp@mmll.cam.ac.uk