Speaker
Description
As English education in Vietnam is repositioning from an EFL to an ESL focus, inclusive teaching becomes an essential consideration in promoting equitable participation, especially in mixed-ability classrooms. In many cases, lower-proficiency learners often experience difficulties accessing grade-level reading texts, which can lead to cognitive overload and disengagement. As ELT in Vietnam increasingly integrates AI tools into teaching English, there is a growing need to examine its role in supporting inclusive instruction without lowering academic expectations. This qualitative study explores how pre-service teachers used AI as a tool in designing reading lessons for English language learners with lower proficiency levels in high schools in Vietnam over an eight-week teaching practice. Data were collected through pre-service teachers’ lesson plans, reflective journals, semi-structured interviews, and learner reflection forms. The results showed that scaffolding designed with AI support could promote lexical, procedural, conceptual, and affective access to complex reading texts for lower-proficiency learners. It could also promote behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement while maintaining shared curricular goals. However, the results also highlighted the importance of teacher mediation, professional judgment, and ethics in using AI tools. The study provides classroom-based evidence showing how AI tools can assist pre-service teachers in designing scaffolding for more inclusive reading instruction in Vietnam’s language education context.
Biography
Le Thi Hoai An is currently a final-year student majoring in English Teacher Education at University of Foreign Language Studies - the University of Danang. She has been doing scientific research since her second year at this university. Her research interests include, but are not limited to, learning motivation, engagement, and the use of AI-powered technologies in language teaching and learning. She is particularly interested in integrating AI into her present and future lessons to enhance student engagement while considering diverse learner needs.
Nguyen Bich Dieu earned her Master’s degree in Applied Linguistics from the University of Queensland, Australia, and received her Ph.D. in TESOL from Universiti Malaysia Sabah. She is currently Acting Dean of Faculty of Foreign Language Teacher Education at the University of Foreign Language Studies - the University of Danang, Vietnam. Her research interests focus on the integration of ICT and AI in English language teaching and learning, as well as teacher education and professional development.
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