AI in the L2 Classroom

85% of students use AI for coursework, raising concerns about academic honesty and integrity. Students find AI useful yet distrust it due to privacy, equity, and job fears. All students still prefer human teachers over AI, valuing real interpersonal interaction. Instructors worry about plagiarism, reduced creativity, and want AI training mainly for monitoring misuse. Students show limited awareness of ethical risks like bias, privacy issues, and digital divides. Unmonitored AI use may weaken motivation, reduce critical thinking, and widen learning inequities. Apply This Now Build AI-proof tasks (analysis, critique, reasoning) so learning depends on thinking, not on AI-written outputs. Talk openly with students about privacy, credibility, and bias so they can use AI responsibly. Keep student teacher connection central; avoid replacing interaction with automated tools. Ask students to critique an AI-generated paragraph for Accuracy, coherence, bias or stereotyping, missing reasoning. This builds higher-order thinking and reduces over-reliance on AI-generated writing. Avoid This Mistake Letting AI tools replace foundational learning behaviors reading, reasoning, and original writing which can lead to intellectual laziness, disengagement, and widening skill gaps. Reference Dakakni, D., & Safa, N. (2023). Artificial intelligence in the L2 classroom: Implications and Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 5, 100179. Suggested Citation Ross, E., & Malar, D. B. J. (2025). AI in the L2 Classroom. Excellent Educator, 2(24), 6.