What impact will AI have on teachers responsible for foreign language education? Existing research suggests that AI can assume many routine tasks, potentially enabling teachers to devote more time to human-centred, higher-order aspects of pedagogy. At the same time, scholars have noted growing concern among teachers about the possibility of being displaced or devalued by AI-driven systems. To explore these tensions in a specific context, this study investigates the perspectives of twelve secondary-school teachers of Japanese in Hong Kong. All participants are native Cantonese speakers and non-native users of Japanese, the target language. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to elicit teachers’ understandings of AI, their current practices, and their perceived opportunities and risks. The findings indicate that Japanese language teachers in Hong Kong recognise AI as both an enabling and a disruptive force. Several participants described AI as having significantly reshaped their teaching, not only by increasing efficiency but also by extending their pedagogical repertoire and capacity for differentiation. Others, however, emphasised that AI tools generate new forms of labour, such as monitoring academic integrity and learning to navigate detection systems, and expressed concern that overreliance on AI may constrain learners’ creativity and intrinsic motivation. Some teachers also worried that, because Japanese is often chosen as a second or third foreign language, the availability of AI translation and tutoring could undermine its perceived utility. By focusing on a language other than English, this study contributes to a more diversified understanding of how AI is reframing foreign language education and teacher professionalism.

Authors:
Reijiro Aoyama, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

About the Presenter(s)
Before taking up his post at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, he taught Japanese literature and culture at Fudan University, Tsinghua University, and City University of Hong Kong.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Thursday Schedule

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