This paper presents a 15-week university course (April–July 2025, 12 students) that integrated artificial intelligence, cross-cultural competence (CQ), and philosophical reflection into interactive English education. The course was designed not only to enhance language proficiency but also to cultivate critical awareness of technology and knowledge. Through dialogue, debate, and presentations, students engaged with questions of worldview, ontology, epistemology, and the philosophy of science. Five weeks of the program were dedicated to structured exchange with short-term international students, creating authentic contexts for intercultural communication.
A distinctive feature was the integration of AI tools (ChatGPT, NotebookLM, Copilot, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude, among others) into writing and learning practices. Students watched daily three-minute English Central AI videos and wrote weekly 200-word reflections, producing 10 essays over the program. Each essay was revised with AI-assisted correction, forming a cycle of expression and refinement aimed at B2-level English proficiency. Equally important, explicit instruction was provided on AI literacy, including how to use varied AI platforms critically, how to cross-check outputs, and how to recognise and avoid hallucinations. In this way, AI was approached both as a language learning partner and as an object of reflective digital pedagogy.
Assessment combined CASEC and Progos Speaking Tests, written output analysis, and reflective surveys. Results showed measurable gains in proficiency, increases in written production, and greater cross-cultural sensitivity. The study advocates for an educational model that integrates AI-assisted practice, intercultural exchange, and philosophical inquiry, thereby equipping learners with both global communicative competence and digital literacy.

Authors:
Hiroyuki Obari, Globiz Professional University and Aoyama Gakuin University, Japan

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Hiroyuki Obari is Professor Emeritus at Aoyama Gakuin University. He now teaches part-time at the Tokyo Institute of Technology graduate school.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/hiroyuki-obari-b788045b/

Connect on ResearchGate
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Hiroyuki-Obari

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