Language Teaching with Generative AI

Spring 2026 Special Run

Due to recent changes in federal funding following the U.S. Department of Education’s reorganization, the NLRC has not been funded for the current year. This shift has impacted all areas of the center, including our ability to offer our online courses free of charge. 

Thanks to the support of the Delia Koo Faculty Funding at MSU, we are still able to partially cover tuition for all participants. Participants who are admitted will be required to pay a $200 tuition deposit upon enrollment. Upon successful completion of the course (defined as receiving a final course grade of 80% or higher), participants will receive a $150 reimbursement of their tuition costs. 

Seats to the Spring 2026 course sections are sold on a first come, first served basis. Please see below for more information about the course and session dates. Once a payment has been made, we are unable to refund the $200 deposit. 

To secure a seat for one of the GenAI sessions, please click the button below and navigate to the session of your choice. Your course instructor will reach out to you a week before the beginning of the course.

Sign up for Spring 2026 GenAI

 Our fully online, asynchronous professional development courses feature task- and project-based learning, as well as extensive instructor interaction and access to a supportive community of peers. Instructors of all languages are invited to apply. 

About the Course 

Language Teaching with Generative AI: Harnessing AI to Elevate Instruction

Explore diverse GenAI tools for language learning and teaching, experiment with GenAI activity design and assessment, and develop strategies for integrating AI into their teaching in meaningful, pedagogically sound ways.

Spring 2026 Course Dates and Instructors

  • Session 1: March 9-27 – Dr. Fred Poole

  • Session 2: April 6-24 – Dr. Luca Giupponi

Course Description
Generative AI (GenAI) has the potential to transform language education. Recent advancements in GenAI allows language educators to become their own personal content publishers. When used correctly, teachers can provide personalized and differentiated content for students, generate numerous activities for teaching inspiration, and provide unique/engaging activities for learners, among many other possibilities. However, doing this requires AI literacies that inform GenAI capabilities, limitations, and best practices (e.g. prompting) for effective use. This course is designed to provide language instructors with the knowledge and skills to leverage GenAI in ways that align with communicative and task-based language teaching. Participants will explore diverse GenAI tools for language learning and teaching, experiment with GenAI activity design and assessment, and develop strategies for integrating AI into their teaching in meaningful, pedagogically sound ways. The final project will involve designing a GenAI-enhanced unit that not only incorporates GenAI tools for language learning into the unit but also introduces students to productive and responsible ways to use GenAI to both promote language learning and develop AI literacy.
 
Course Goals 
  • Understand the capabilities and limitations of Generative AI in language education
  • Develop advanced prompting skills within the context of language teaching and learning
  • Explore diverse GenAI tools for language teaching, learning, and assessment
  • Use GenAI to design engaging language activities and assessments that enhance learning outcomes
  • Apply Generative AI to Communicative and Task-Based Language Teaching
  • Develop a GenAI-enhanced unit that introduces students to productive uses of AI for language learning and AI literacy

Course Details

  •  Length: 3 weeks
  • Delivery: online, largely asynchronous
  • Small, seminar-style cohort-focused curriculum similar to what you’d find in a graduate course, with extensive and personalized instructor feedback and interaction
  • Weekly expected workload: 5-7 hours + 1-2 hours of synchronous sessions (TBD)
  • Learning Platform: D2L (MSU’s Learning Management System)
  • No required materials other than those provided within the learning platform
  • Technology Requirements: computer with stable internet connection; webcam and microphone; mobile device (recommended)
  • Not for credit; a certificate will be provided to participants upon successful completion of the course.
  • Please note: we reserve the right to cancel or postpone a course session if the minimum enrollment number is not met.