ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN MOBILE-ASSISTED VOCABULARY LEARNING: PERSONALIZING ENGLISH LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION
Keywords:
artificial intelligence; mobile-assisted language learning; vocabulary instruction; personalization; adaptive learning; learner modelling; English for Specific Purposes.Abstract
This article examines the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into mobile-assisted vocabulary learning as a means of personalizing English language instruction. It traces the shift from static, rule-based personalization in earlier computer-assisted language learning to continuous, data-driven learner modelling, and surveys four families of AI techniques used in current vocabulary applications: adaptive spaced-repetition algorithms, natural language processing for contextual and generative practice, automatic speech recognition for pronunciation feedback, and conversational agents for dialogue-based retrieval. Six dimensions along which these techniques personalize instruction are identified, and their relevance to English for Specific Purposes vocabulary teaching is discussed. The article closes with a discussion of the ethical, pedagogical and practical challenges that AI-mediated personalization raises, including data privacy, algorithmic bias, over-reliance and the changing role of the teacher.
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