AI in ELT: From Lesson Ideas to AI Literacy

HELTA Online Workshop with Jo Szoke

By the HELTA Team

On 30 May, HELTA hosted the online workshop AI in ELT: From Lesson Ideas to AI Literacy with AI in Education specialist Jo Szoke.

The session explored not only practical ideas for using AI in lesson planning and activity creation, but also the broader question of what AI literacy actually means in language education today.

Throughout the workshop, participants looked at a range of classroom activities that encourage learners to engage critically with AI. These included discussions about AI and future jobs, evaluating the credibility of chatbot responses, reflecting on risks and ethical concerns surrounding AI use, and considering how AI may increasingly shape communication, work, and education.

A recurring theme throughout the session was that AI literacy goes far beyond simply knowing how to use AI tools. Questions surrounding hallucinations, bias, privacy, reliability, responsible use, and critical thinking formed an important part of the discussion. The workshop highlighted the importance of helping students consciously reflect on the tools they use and the information they encounter.

Towards the end of the session, we also explored questions related to the use of AI in music creation. This opened up many interesting possibilities for discussion — not only with students, but also within our institutions and among educators more broadly — particularly regarding creativity, authorship, ethics, and the future role of AI in creative industries.

One of the most valuable aspects of the workshop was the wonderful exchange with Jo Szoke and within the community of educators who attended. Participants brought in their own experiences, questions, and perspectives, creating a thoughtful and highly relevant discussion around the rapidly evolving role of AI in education.

With the fast-paced development of AI technologies and their growing impact on our industry, it became very clear that these conversations are only becoming more important. AI is evolving so quickly that many of us are still trying to find the best ways to approach it in our teaching contexts. All the more valuable, then, are opportunities to exchange ideas openly, reflect together, and learn from one another’s experiences.

We are already looking forward to continuing the conversation in the future.

A heartfelt thank you once again to Jo Szoke for the workshop and to everyone who joined and helped make the discussion so engaging and worthwhile.