ACTFL 2024 Conference Report
By Jeffrey Samuels, Editor, World Languages 360, Angelika Kraemer, Cornell University, Frederick Poole, Michigan State University, Lauren Rosen, University of Wisconsin, and Gisele El Khoury, St. Lawrence University
DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.69732/HZIT2214
The Annual Convention of ACTFL took place at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia on November 20-24, 2024. ACTFL is a large convention of approximately 6,000 attendees. Numerous activities include a robust exhibit hall, plenaries, short and longer format presentations, poster sessions, workshops, awards, special interest groups, and affiliate meetings. The theme of the Convention was “Connect for the Love of Languages,” a reference of course to Philadelphia’s nickname of “The City of Brotherly Love” as well as ACTFL’s Language Connects Foundation.
Keynote Speakers
The Opening General Session on Friday featured keynote speaker and actor Sheryl Lee Ralph from the sitcom “Abbott Elementary,” which also takes place in Philadelphia (see summary below by Angelika Kraemer). On Sunday, the Closing General Session keynote speaker was Blessing Offor, a singer/songwriter and reality television star.
Teacher of the Year (TOY) Candidates
The Teacher of the Year (TOY) candidates featured prominently during the Opening. ACTFL’s regional affiliates select their own Teacher of the Year candidates, who compete for the designation of ACTFL’s national Teacher of the Year, which is announced at the Opening Plenary on day 1.
Amanda Beck, William Henry Harrison High School, Central States Conference (CSCTFL)
Carlos Salinas, William Penn Charter School, Northeast Conference (NECTFL)
Bertha Delgadillo, Woodville Tompkins Technical and Career High School, Southern Conference on Language Teaching (SCOLT)
Sara Lee, Arizona State University, Southwest Conference on Language Teaching (SWCOLT)
Kei Tsukamaki, Juanita High School, Pacific Northwest Council for Languages (PNCFL)
The Teacher of the Year for 2025 is Kei Tsukamaki from the Pacific Northwest. Congratulations to all of the nominees!
Exhibit Hall
Exhibitors numbered approximately 200, including our own organization, IALLT, which had a booth on the main floor. The exhibit hall typically hosts a variety of companies and organizations as well as educational programs.
A number of professional organizations like IALLT as well as regional groups affiliated with ACTFL maintained a robust presence. National Foreign Language Resource Centers shared a space. Companies such as language labs, virtual and physical, as well as apps and other solutions for language learning were peppered in among study abroad companies, publishers, ACTFL Central, and dedicated spaces for posters, networking, interviews, and other gatherings.
ACTFL Opening General Session, submitted by Angelika Kraemer
Each year, ACTFL’s Opening General Session sets the stage for the annual convention. This year’s President, L.J. Randolph, Jr., welcomed the more than 6,000 language educators to Philadelphia. He reviewed his work under the banner of “Language as Liberation.”
Next, the 2025 Teacher of the Year was announced. The session was rounded out by the Opening Keynote Speaker, Sheryl Lee Ralph. Known to many as Barbara Howard in the ABC hit comedy series “Abbott Elementary,” Ralph spoke about the importance of self-care and encouraged attendees to reclaim their weekends. Her entertaining and inspirational speech was met with great applause.
Technology Presentations Attended by IALLT Members
Several attendees who are also members of IALLT agreed to provide descriptions and impressions of some presentations that they attended which focused on technology. Here is a sample of technology sessions that they attended. Not surprisingly, all of the sessions that were profiled involved artificial intelligence (AI) in some way, reflecting the fact that this topic dominated the cadre of technology presentations this year at ACTFL.
Policies and Practices for Effectively Using AI Tools in Chinese Courses, submitted by Frederick Poole
Presenter(s): Zhiqiang Li, Zhongqi Shi, Jun Da
This session included three presentations around generative AI in higher education. The first presentation summarized a survey given to Chinese language teachers about their knowledge of generative AI and current practices. This presentation was focused on experienced teachers and heavy users of generative AI and thus perspectives focused on the positive sides of AI. The second presentation was about integrating AI policy into the Chinese classroom. The presenters discussed practical activities that language educators could do on Day 1 to discuss policies. The third presentation summarized a brief study in which ChatGPT was used to support writing skills.
The highlights of the presentation for me were the activities that students could do to discuss AI policies. I like the idea of providing students with a list of possible things ChatGPT could do and then discussing as a class whether or not they were ethical or appropriate. It is a great starting place to not only teach students about ChatGPT but also to avoid any inappropriate uses of it going forward.
Artificial Intelligence & Multimodal Mastery in Arabic Language Classes, submitted by Gisele El Khoury
Presenter: Mimi Melkonian
This interactive session explored innovative methods for teaching Arabic. Mimi used many AI tools to transform language instruction. In this session, the presenter introduced several innovative tools designed to enhance the teaching and learning experience in Arabic language classes (as well as other languages). Each tool was demonstrated with practical examples to showcase its functionality and application.
Here’s an overview of the tools discussed:
Turboscribes: This tool was highlighted for its ability to convert speech into text efficiently, making it a valuable asset for transcription activities.
Natural Readers: This text-to-speech tool was shown as a way to improve students’ pronunciation and listening skills. By inputting Arabic texts, students can listen to accurate pronunciations and intonation patterns, making it easier to familiarize themselves with the rhythm and flow of the language.
Mizou: The presenter showcased how Mizou can be used as an interactive platform for creating engaging language exercises. She showed examples of storytelling and role plays.
Immersive Reader in Microsoft Office 365: This built-in feature was demonstrated as a powerful tool for enhancing reading comprehension. It can break down complex Arabic texts by providing translations, definitions, and phonetic support, as well as identify and highlight parts of speech.
Descript: This multimedia editing tool was introduced for its versatile application in creating and analyzing audio and video content. The presenter demonstrated how teachers could use Descript with YouTube videos, highlighting its ability to generate subtitles and translate them into any desired language.
How AI Is Revolutionizing Speaking Practice in Education (Exhibitor Session), submitted by Lauren Rosen
Presenter(s): Ben Altschuler, CEO of Speakology AI
This presentation focused on the principal function of Speakology, providing personalized feedback on speaking skills through the use of an AI video chatbot.
This AI technology will, in my opinion, be the ticket to reaching higher levels of spoken language more quickly. Students can speak to a human-like AI avatar in a videoconferencing one-on-one environment, with 24/7 access. The AI is quite realistic, picks up on nuances of language and will make or not make corrections to the extent that the instructor wants (all correction, only minimal corrections, or no correction). Often the correction is also done as one would recommend in a live with teacher session, whereby the instructor repeats the language in a correct way rather than directly criticizing the student’s speech (a recast). I can see students practicing spoken language more often outside of synchronous instructor-directed sessions, thus being more prepared for the types of spontaneous interactions the instructor and real world circumstances demand.
AI Integration in Language Education: Unlocking Global Communication, submitted by Jeffrey Samuels
Presenter(s): Jorge Zamora, Dimaris Barrios-Beltrán
In their printed session description, the presenters noted the focus of their talk would be to “learn to ethically integrate AI tools, empowering educators for enhanced teaching, fostering inclusive, culturally sensitive learning environments, and shaping future-ready learners.” They began by saying that AI predates applications in current use like ChatGPT. They recommend that the teacher uses the AI, while learners do not necessarily use it, but what it produces. They warn us to watch out for subscription models and free tools with a limited trial period and a pricey subscription. They presented a number of activities to illustrate their approach. Examples included creating a character with defined attributes (an activity that was popular with students), as well as image recreation based on prompts in the target language. Their approach allows for personalized student experiences in the WL classroom under teacher guidance and control. We are advised to take into consideration learning styles, equity, growth mindset, and self-reflection. They ended with examples of lesson planning with AI, a topic of significant interest among attendees.
Using Generative AI to Create Authentic Engagement & Enrich Your Curriculum, submitted by submitted by Jeffrey Samuels
Presenter(s): Kevin Gaugler and Lea Graner Kennedy
The presenters began with live audience polls of what AI solutions attendees use and know about. There was some variety, although the predominant answers included Magic School and Google Docs. The presenters shared and began to encourage attendees to use a Padlet to provide an ongoing resource. The next topic was largely an exploration of Generative AI tools with an overview of the current array of tools available to language educators, both free and paid. Advantages, disadvantages, and price points were delineated. Language models (LLMs) within each tool and their capabilities vary, and teachers should consider various factors such as access, as well as the fact that larger LLMs use a large amount of energy. Some uses of AI may be overpowered and intensive, beyond what is needed, akin to “taking a 747 to the grocery store.” An additional concern is that many models are trained predominantly on English models as 64% of the internet is in English. The main points and take-aways were twofold: (1) We can use AI to enrich curriculum. We can engage in customizing GPTs such as via Gemini, by putting in prompts in the L2, and results will be in the same language. (2) Digital glossing (having students conduct asynchronous communications with peers) and meaningful game-based learning are areas where meta-analyses show technology “moves the needle” on SLA. (Plonsky and Ziegler 2016). Note that this observation predates AI, but AI can facilitate these technology-intensive tasks.
AI as an Academic Integrity Ally: Can-Do Statements that Empower Students, submitted by Jeffrey Samuels
Presenters: Lauren Rosen and Kathryn Grovergrys
The central tenet of the presentation was that AI can serve as an ally in the context of academic integrity, at the same time contributing to a student-centered learning environment. The presentation alternated between strategies and ethical considerations, integrating AI use cases and examples. A unique aspect of the presentation was the presenters’ carefully cultivated and proposed examples of NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements and AI-focused competencies. Taken as a whole, these statements comprised a guiding framework ensuring the integrity-driven use of AI tools. Aspects of language instructional parameters using AI included learning objectives, assessments, and overall pedagogical approaches. The presenters portrayed AI as a “catalyst for innovative and student-focused learning, gaining actionable strategies to implement in their environments.”
Looking Forward to ACTFL 2025
The 2025 ACTFL Annual Convention and World Languages Expo will take place in New Orleans from Friday, November 21 through Sunday, November 23 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Program details, speakers, and logistics will be announced later this year.