MAKING LANGUAGE LEARNING LESS BOT-RING: THE ULTIMATE MEDIATION INSTRUCTOR!

Hi, fellow teachers!

I can't stop moving on through the ever-evolving language teaching journey, can you? I am continuously seeking tools to enhance my students' learning experiences. One such tool that has captured my attention recently is the chatbot. Who hasn't heard about the wonders of @Mizou from @ELT_CATION, @blogdecristina and @EliGozalo? I couldn't resist following suit to uncover the mysteries of integrating bots in the ESL class!

As I was brainstorming ideas for my bot design, inspiration came quickly: What aspect causes the most insecurity among my C1 students? Undoubtedly, it's mediation! They struggle to understand how oral mediation works here in Galicia when it comes to the standardized exam: "Identify the main idea of a small text and highlight the most relevant pieces of information without adding any personal opinion or extra ideas". Challenging, isn't it?

So, I got down to it and started designing a chatbot experience with Mizou that I'm now excited to introduce: The Ultimate Mediation Instructor🥰. It is a new bot specifically designed to help students practice mediation skills, which - as I have mentioned - are a crucial component of standardized language exams in Galicia. Just like the exam teacher here and complying with the Galician standards, the instructor evaluates students' ability to summarize and streamline main ideas effectively, guiding and supporting them throughout the building process.

I have already implemented it in class and also asked my students for feedback on the tool. Students' opinions are key to my teaching job! Here are five compelling advantages they have found out:

• 24/7 Availability: They all agreed that this chatbot is available round the clock, providing them with instant access to mediation practice whenever they needed it so that they could engage with the task at their own pace. How convenient!
• Personalized learning: I tailored the interaction so that each student could choose their own area of interest for the bot to provide the right text to mediate. My students pointed out that this personalized approach fostered greater engagement and motivation. I was thrilled!
• Immediate feedback: According to my students, the most significant advantage of the Ultimate Mediation Instructor is its ability to provide instant feedback on their responses, which not only reinforced learning in real time but also helped them identify and address areas for improvement more efficiently.
• Promotion of Speaking and Writing Skills: Through supportive prompts, the chatbot encouraged my students to practice and refine their speaking and writing skills in a safe environment. This active engagement facilitated language production and fluency development. They were so focused!
• Autonomy Enhancement: My students agreed that they managed to take over their own learning process by exploring mediation independently, experimenting with different language structures, and tracking their progress live and over time!

I will try and continue to enrich language learning experiences in my classroom, embracing the possibilities that #AI offers in fostering meaningful and effective language acquisition. Also, I will keep on considering risks and challenges that need to be overcome! So, stay tuned for updates on this journey!