Keynote Speakers

Dr. Marta González-Lloret is Professor of Spanish and Applied Linguistics at the Spanish Division of the Department of Languages and Literatures of Europe and the Americas and Associated Graduate Faculty of the department of Second Language Studies (SLS) at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa. Originally from Valladolid, Spain, she has lived in Hawai‘i for over 30 years. Her teaching and research focus on Spanish language and linguistics, second language acquisition, teacher education, critical digital literacy, and computer-assisted language learning. Her main research interests lie in the intersections of technology with Task-Based Language Teaching and L2 pragmatics. In 2018, she received the University of Hawai‘i Board of Regents’ Medal for Excellence in Teaching. She is internationally recognized for her work, has published widely and currently serves as editor of the John Benjamins book series Task-Based Language Teaching: Issues, Research and Practice and Pragmatics & Language Learning book series (NFLRC).

Dr. Sangmin Michelle Lee

Sangmin-Michelle Lee is a professor in the Department of XR/AI Convergence at Kyung Hee University in Korea. She received her Ph.D. from Pennsylvania State University, USA. Her research interests include technology-enhanced learning environments, machine translation, game-based learning, and computational creativity. She has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals, including Computer Assisted Language Learning, ReCALL, Language Learning & Technology, BJET, and Education and Information Technologies. She has conducted R&D projects in technology-enhanced learning, including AI digital textbooks, explainable AI for teachers, and an AI risk management framework and checklist. She is an associate editor of Language Learning and Technology, Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, and JALT-CALL.

Fostering Intercultural and Sociopragmatic Competence through Virtual Exchanges

This presentation examines the use of Virtual Exchanges (VEs) as a pedagogical approach to enhance language acquisition and intercultural competence. VEs facilitate structured and sustained interaction between learners from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds through online communication tools. The presentation explores how these exchanges can foster the development of intercultural communicative competence (ICC), digital literacy, and sociopragmatic skills; particularly the ability to recognize community norms and select appropriate communicative actions within specific social contexts. Drawing on existing research on VEs, the talk proposes a pedagogical design informed by instructed second language (L2) pragmatics to support the development of intercultural and sociopragmatic competence. Practical examples of possible VE implementations will be presented to illustrate these principles. Finally, the presentation considers emerging directions in the field, including the integration of immersive technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to further expand the potential of VEs in language education.

From Tool to Collaborator: Human-AI Co-Creativity in Digital Storytelling

Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have made machines increasingly capable of generating creative content, ushering in a new era of human–AI collaboration. Despite the growing use of AI in education, there is a lack of empirical studies examining creative outcomes and students' evolving perceptions of AI during collaborative creative processes. This presentation shares the results of a semester-long AI-powered creative project investigating human-AI co-creativity and students' evolving views on the role of AI. The project consisted of four sequential phases. First, Korean college students (N = 39) played Her Story, a non-linear murder mystery game that requires active interpretation of fragmented narratives. They then collaborated to create interactive digital stories on MyGPTs in English, using ChatGPT to generate ideas, refine language and develop narratives. Next, they produced teaser videos using AI tools such as Midjourney, Sora and DALL·E. Finally, they used ThingLink to recreate key scenes, spatially visualising their narratives through embedded multimedia and interactive tags to create immersive, explorable story worlds. A mixed-methods approach combining thematic analysis, semantic network analysis and qualitative coding was employed. The creative outcomes scored highly across all four components of creativity as defined by Torrance. While originality was primarily driven by the students, AI significantly enhanced flexibility, elaboration, and fluency. Notably, despite extensive AI use, students retained agency and ownership throughout the process. Five distinct AI role framings emerged regarding perceptions: Tool, Assistant, Cognitive Partner, Creative Collaborator and Emotional Supporter. A clear shift from an instrumental to a relational framing was observed over the semester, with initial differences between engineering and humanities students largely converging through shared creative practice. These findings demonstrate that sustained, dialogic interaction with AI during multi-phase creative tasks can enrich creative outcomes and transform students' mental models, shifting their perception of AI from that of a subordinate tool to that of a collaborative partner. The implications for designing AI-integrated curricula that foster productive human–AI partnerships are discussed.