Reading Reflection 2026.02.14

Reading Reflection 2026.02.14

Yu Borui

When it comes to the application of AI in second language learning, I actually think the changes in recent years are really obvious. In the past, we used to learn languages, which were basically textbooks, teachers and tapes. Now we feel that we can open an APP or website at will, and there is AI behind it. Such as automatic composition correction, intelligent vocabulary recommendation, speech recognition practice, and even chat robots that accompany you to talk, these are gradually becoming very daily.

Personally, I think the most intuitive change is that the number of exercises has increased. I used to write a composition, but I may hand it in once a week, and the teacher will return it to you after correcting it, with a long interval; Now rewrite it with AI or give feedback, and you will see suggestions in a few minutes. Even though those suggestions may not be completely accurate, at least you will be willing to change them several times. There is also oral practice. In the past, when there was no language environment, it was actually difficult to find someone to practice with you. But now, when you talk to AI, it is always there, and you won't be impatient because you are stuck. For those who are usually afraid to speak, this feeling of "being ready to practice" is very important.

Also, AI has an advantage that it can adjust the difficulty according to your level. For example, if you always make mistakes in some grammar points, it may give you more relevant exercises, or deliberately guide you to use that structure in the dialogue. This kind of personalization is actually difficult to achieve in traditional large classes. Teachers have limited energy and can't fully take care of everyone's details.

But another face is that nowadays, many people will ask AI to help them correct their compositions first, or even directly let it generate a version and then correct it themselves. I sometimes wonder, is this improving language ability or "the ability to use tools"? If we rely too much on it, we may gradually lose our patience in organizing our language. Especially in exams or real communication scenarios, there is no AI to remind us.

If we think of it as a teaching assistant who can ask questions at any time, I think it's good; But if we think of it as a machine to help us finish our study, it may be a bit dangerous. In other words, the essence of language is a tool used to communicate with people. AI can help us practice, change and try more, but what really makes language alive may still be the real moments of dialogue and communication.

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