MPU-Bell Centre of English Creative English Language Teaching Forum: Using AI to Enhance English Teaching and Learning

To support the advancement of language education in the AI era, MPU-Bell Centre of English held the third Creative English Language Teaching (ELT) Forum. The event featured several renowned international scholars who discussed innovative models of English teaching driven by AI, providing diverse solutions for high-quality development of English education in Macao.

The forum invited Prof Chu-ren Huang from the Department of Language Science and Technology at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University as the commentator. Prof Huang is a world-renowned linguist who was ranked among the top 2% of scientists globally in the AI field by Standford/Elsevier in 2024. The main speakers of the forum included Prof Kathleen Ahrens, an expert from the Department of English and Communication at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and Prof Simon Mark Harrison, an expert from the Department of English at City University of Hong Kong and a core member of the University’s Brain, Behaviour and Social Study Group. Other speakers included Dr David Sansom, Director of MPU-Bell Centre of English, and experienced ESP trainers of the Centre, Dr Áine Ní Bhroin and Mr Mark Rodehorst. Deputy Director of the Centre, Prof Lily Lim, served as the forum moderator.

During the forum, Prof Ahrens demonstrated how AI can generate dialogues of varying difficulty levels from authentic texts, enabling students to perform role-playing in class and transforming complex literary texts into engaging “reader’s theatre” to stimulate learning motivation. She emphasized the teacher’s responsibility to ensure that students ethically and safely utilize AI, addressing issues such as data privacy. She reminded teachers that AI output is merely “raw materials” that still requires human verification. Harrison introduced the potential benefits of AI-guided oral feedback (e.g., Moodie.ai), while also cautioning that any rule system adopted by AI may carry biases and lack empirical foundations. Prof Hung stated that AI does not truly “think”. Communication between people requires joint transmission and interpretation of messages by speakers and listeners, which is something AI currently cannot accomplish. Nevertheless, he noted significant advancements in generative AI (e.g., Qwen) and anticipated that future versions would be more powerful and practical in educational and other fields.

The forum brought together scholars, school principals, and representatives from local primary and secondary schools, including Principal Robert Alexander from Macau Anglican College, Principal Ho U from Escola Sun Wah; and representatives from over ten other local primary and secondary schools including Pui Ching Middle School, Kao Yip Middle School, Sacred Heart Canossian College (English Section), Sacred Heart Canossian College (Chinese Section), Yuet Wah College, Macau Anglican College, Colégio Dom Bosco (Yuet Wah), Our Lady of Fatima Girls’ School, Colégio Mateus Ricci, Lou Hau High School, Escola Sun Wah and Escola Dos Moradores de Macau, etc.; along with Director of MPU Centre for Continuing Education, Ms. Veng San Hau, Deputy Director of MPU Centre for Gaming and Tourism Studies, Mr. Yu Ning Siu, and other teachers. Nearly a hundred attendees engaged in active interaction with the guest speakers, creating a lively atmosphere.

As an important platform for English education at MPU, MPU-Bell Centre of English has achieved significant results in innovative English teaching through its dual focus on international integration and localization. The Centre will continue to drive high-quality development in English education through innovation and provide more diversified international English examination certifications to contribute to the cultivation of talents suited to the demands of the new technological era, thereby supporting moderate economic diversification and long-term progress in Macao society.

Talk presented by Prof. Kathleen Ahrens

Talk presented by Prof. Simon Mark Harrison