AI? No, Thank You. I’d Rather Stick with My Teacher.  

Teaching and learning in the age of AI is fascinating for both teachers and students. Both can largely benefit from this phenomenon, making their journeys much more efficient. Of course, we all know when AI can backfire, and to be frank, as an ESL teacher, I think it backfires when irresponsibility creeps in on both ends. This blog post, however, isn’t focused on this issue. Instead, I’m going to focus on those who are responsible and committed to learning. I’d like to share my opinion and my experience in class when students eventually told me, “AI? No, thank you. I’d rather stick with you, human teacher.” 

First, let me get this straight: as a teacher, I’m on the AI side for learning, and I believe it’s a great tool for the learners. We just need to raise their awareness of how they can use it to their own benefit in the process of learning and make it clear for them that, no matter how advanced AI becomes, it can’t currently do the learning for you. Fortunately, or unfortunately, you’re still in charge of learning and using your brain muscle.  

With that in mind, I try to teach my students how to learn from AI and perhaps think of it as a teacher. To do so, these are the steps that I take: 

• As a learner, you need to introduce yourself (your learning style) to AI tools, such as ChatGPT, so that the outcome, whatever it is, will be tailored to your needs.  

• To know your learning style, you need to do a reflective analysis on how you learn in general and not just in the language domain. 

• List your qualities as a learner. 

• In the next stage, let any given AI tool know about your wants, needs, and expectations. Clearly and in a very friendly manner — maybe while sipping your coffee at your favourite coffee place — explain to the AI tool why you’re here and what you hope to gain from this exchange of ideas. Trust me, AI can adapt to your input. For example, a student can say, “Hey, ChatGPT, I’m currently a CLB 4 student and wish to level up to CLB 5 in two months. I have about 1 hour every day to study, and I learn best in groups. I learn best when I listen to information and then write, organize, and memorize it. Could you please assist me with this?” 

• And I guess ChatGPT will humbly grant your wish. 

• Then, when the AI gives you a learning strategy in the form of a module or syllabus, you’ve got to stick to it and start learning. Here comes the major challenge; the actual task of learning, which makes a person a learner. 

 At first, this seems really exciting for the majority of students. “Wow. I’m in control of my learning, and it feels like I don’t need a teacher at all.” But soon, most of them will realize that hey, this is just too much, “I’m now both a teacher and a learner.” And it’s not easy to be both with this intelligent super-smart creature called AI, which bombards me with a deluge of information from all fronts.  

And here comes the reality of learning with AI. As glamorous as it may appear at first, pretty soon, maybe a couple of weeks into the course, they find themselves in need of an assistant or a facilitator to help them figure out and navigate the whole process. When they’re asked if they want to learn English solely with AI, their honest response would be, “No, thank you. I’d rather stick with you, human teacher.”  

In short, this whole exchange of ideas made me reflect on where we stand as teachers. For those who are responsible learners, meaning they know AI is there to boost their learning, not to do the learning for them, the presence of an actual teacher is a precious asset. It’s all about the expertise and dedication that teachers bring to learning environments. But, in the long run, I think that maybe a new role assigned to us as teachers could be as an AI assistant, given the fact that AI has no intentions whatsoever to back off.  

Setareh Dabbagh

Greetings from the bottom of the heart of an educator. I’m Setareh and I have tried to be an agent for change through being an EFL/ESL instructor for over ten years now: change from uncertainty to assurance. I studied English Literature and went on to continue my studies in TEFL. As a learning facilitator, trying to empower learners and helping them get control over their learning pursuit is what I feel passionate about. I like sharing my teaching and learning experiences with my passionate fellows through writing as well. My area of professional interest is writing- be it blogging, short story, translation, or content writing. I see writing as a blue bird of some sci-fi movies with many wings. My writing wings are amazing books, moving movies, great company, healthy food, and physical and mental exercise.