The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa welcomed language educators from around the world for the 8th Foreign Language Education and Technology (FLEAT) Conference, held June 25–28.
More than 220 participants from 14 countries, ranging from K–12 teachers to university faculty, came together to explore how technology, especially generative AI, is shaping language teaching and learning.
Naiyi Xie Fincham, associate director of UH‘s National Foreign Language Resource Center (NFLRC), spoke about the transformative potential of generative AI in language instruction.
“With purposeful task design and a clear curriculum integration plan, regular conversational practice with a generative AI–powered agent offers a low-stakes, low-stress space for independent language learning—delivering personalized, level-appropriate feedback, fostering self-regulated learning skills, and providing teachers with concrete evidence of each learner’s proficiency development to enable tailored instruction.”
Engaging with AI
Many presentations focused on the use of AI tools in curriculum design, assessment and student engagement. These are areas where both NFLRC and Center for Language and Technology (CLT) at UH Mānoa already support educators with free resources and professional development.
“Our centers at UH Mānoa are helping shape the future of language education by supporting educators in navigating the rapidly evolving AI landscape,” said Julio C. Rodriguez, director of CLT, NFLRC and the Language Flagship Technology Innovation Center at UH Mānoa. “Whether it’s designing new tools, creating professional learning opportunities, or fostering collaboration, we’re committed to making AI a resource that enhances teaching and learning and helps realize human potential.”
Featured speaker Michele Anciaux Aoki, respected advocate for international education and world languages, called attention to the potential of AI to open access to less commonly taught and heritage languages. However, Aoki also cautioned that AI should support but not replace human connection, underscoring the need to keep learning rooted in culture and community.
Reimagining language labs
FLEAT 8 audiences also heard from Carol Goss, who leads a language and intercultural learning center at Valparaiso University. She encouraged educators to reimagine language labs as collaborative, intercultural spaces, not just places to practice grammar drills.
Hosted by UH’s NFLRC and CLT, FLEAT 8 was co-organized with the International Association for Language Learning Technology and the Japan Association for Language Education and Technology.
The FLEAT conference happens every five years, alternating between Japan and the U.S., and highlights the growing connection between technology and world language education.
