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PRESENTATION POINTS

Brief introduction
Artificial Intelligence and why chatgpt?
ChatGPT in Spanish for HS classrooms
What do students really think?
Practical examples
Benefits in heritage speaker classrooms
Challenges in heritage speaker classrooms
Conclusion: Should we use ChatGPT in Spanish for HS classrooms?
Next steps

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�

Greater Presence in Second Language Classrooms
Divided Opinions on Its Use in the Classroom
Potential to Support Bilingual and Bicultural Students
Numerous Studies on Cultural and Diversity Aspects

INTRODUCTION

Limited Research in Heritage Speaker Classrooms
Few Studies on Its Impact on Cultural Identity
Low Reliability in Languages Other Than English
Unclear Whether AI Reflects or Challenges Identities
Lack of Training on How to Use AI

(Pokrivčáková, 2019; Barrot, 2023; Baskara, 2023; Kohnke, Moorhouse & Zou, 2023, Cao et al., 2024)

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CHATGPT IN SPANISH FOR HS CLASSROOMS��

In education, its use has grown rapidly:43% of college students in the U.S. use ChatGPT for academic purposes.

Out of 51 participants, 49 say they use ChatGPT regularly.

All studies agree that the use of AI requires teacher mediation.

(Baidoo-Anu & Owusu Ansah, 2023; BestColleges, 2023; Chávez & Naranjo, 2024; Ge, 2024)

Classes Where ChatGPT Is Most Useful – Project: ChatGPT in Heritage Speaker Classrooms – Álvaro González Alba

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WHAT DO STUDENTS REALLY THINK?

ChatGPT Reduces Educational Anxiety – Project: ChatGPT in Heritage Speaker Classrooms – Álvaro González Alba

Participante 4: Me explica el significado cultural de ciertas frases o expresiones idiomáticas en distintas regiones hispanohablantes.

Participante 10: Me resume eventos históricos importantes para la cultura hispana en un formato claro y sencillo.

Participante 16: Si es útil para las clases de lenguas, por ejemplo, un hispanohablante puede tener dificultades en encontrar palabras para comunicar o escribir. Chat me ayuda a comunicarme, escribir, etc.

Participante 8: Me da ayuda personalizada y me hace más fácil el trabajo multilingüe, pero a veces pienso en los problemas como el plagio o que acabe teniendo una dependencia excesiva del Chat.

Participante 13: Pues yo uso mucho Chat y creo que lo hago bien, pero puede que me haga falta la ayuda del profesor.

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PRACTICAL EXAMPLES��

Exploring Our Culture in the Classroom�Activity: Generate a text in which a Spanish Heritage Speaker living in Colorado explains Día de Muertos to a member of the Asian-American community.

Instruction Modifications:

ChatGPT can create personalized texts and dialogues based on each student’s culture and history, as well as the character profiles they want to develop.
Add linguistic features that reflect the student’s background or those they consider important for their community.

Benefit: Strengthen and deepen students’ cultural identity.�Challenge: AI may lack cultural nuance or reproduce stereotypes if not properly guided or if the instructions are not refined.

Teacher’s Role: Encourage critical reading and help students identify potential cultural biases and stereotypes.

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Linguistic and Cultural Exploration: The Academic Environment�Activity: Before class, the teacher provides an informal Spanish text. Students must rewrite it in a formal academic style. Afterward, they analyze and explain the differences.

Instruction Modifications:

Students can create both texts themselves, choosing an academic topic that interests them (it can be from another class).
Modify the text to incorporate the students’ own linguistic variety or any other variety they wish to include.

Benefit: Ability to create personalized and contextualized texts based on students' interests.

Challenge: Recognizing, understanding, and applying the shifts between informal and formal registers in academic contexts using their own linguistic varieties.

Teacher’s Role: Provide clear instructions and ensure that students identify and understand the differences between a formal and informal text.

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Linguistic Exploration: Uncomfortable Conversation�Activity: Generate a dialogue between a person from Spain and a person from Mexico arguing about which variety of Spanish is “better.”

Instruction Modifications:

Add more background information to the characters to uncover the linguistic and cultural biases they bring into the conversation, and have them explain those biases.
Modify the characters to include the students’ own linguistic variety or any other variety they wish to explore.

Benefit: Opportunity to explore linguistic ideologies and diversity in a context that students rarely get to engage with.�Challenge: Recognizing and understanding language ideologies, social, and cultural biases.

Teacher’s Role: Encourage a critical and conscious approach to different ideologies:�➤ Invite students to observe and question biases�➤ Teach them to reframe questions to uncover ideological issues and linguistic prejudice

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BENEFITS IN HERITAGE SPEAKER CLASSROOMS

Personalized Support	Offers responses adjusted to the student’s linguistic level
Identity Development	Allows exploration of connections between language, culture, and identity
Immediate Access	Instant help outside the classroom, promoting autonomy
Immediate Feedback	Facilitates immediate error correction
Contextualized Material	Ability to adapt content to diverse cultural contexts
Technological Inclusion	A relevant digital tool for new generations
Support in Writing and Reading	Contextualized materials generated instantly

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CHALLENGES IN HERITAGE SPEAKER CLASSROOMS

Linguistic Bias	Promotes the idea of “standard” Spanish; ignores Spanish varieties
Cultural Mismatch	Lacks sensitivity to community or bicultural references
Linguistic Insecurity	May reinforce negative views of non-standard grammar or vocabulary
Pedagogical Disconnection	Generic content that does not reflect students’ experiences
Identity	May erase bi-identities or the use of code-switching
AI Dependence	Risk that students may rely too heavily on ChatGPT
Cultural Bias	Favors Western perspectives, ignoring marginalized identities
Historical Bias	Reproduces old narratives and problematic views on culture and identity

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CONCLUSION: SHOULD WE USE CHATGPT IN SPANISH FOR HS CLASSROOMS?

Use of ChatGPT in Spanish Heritage Language Classes

Supports grammar, vocabulary development, conversation, writing, and translation.
Promotes autonomous learning and metalinguistic awareness.
Reduces language anxiety caused by academic and linguistic expectations.
Allows for the adaptation of materials to bilingual identities and regional dialects.
Encourages the use of both academic Spanish and heritage Spanish (Spanglish, code-switching).
Stimulates critical and cultural exploration of linguistic repertoires.

Risks:

AI may reinforce normative language ideologies and reject heritage Spanish varieties.
Lack of teacher guidance/mediation may result in incorrect or misleading content.

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FUTURE STEPS

Continue exploring how students use AI.
Develop teaching strategies for integrating AI in the classroom.
Find/create protocols to avoid cultural and linguistic bias.
Explore the emotional implications that using ChatGPT may have for heritage speakers.

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Thank you!

Thank you for your time.

If anyone would like to learn more about the project, get involved, or collaborate in any way, feel free to contact me:

agonzalezalba@regis.edu

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References��

https://www.bestcolleges.com/research/college-students-ai-tools-survey/
Cao, Y., Zhou, L., Lee, S., Cabello, L., Chen, M., & Hershcovich, D. (2023). Assessing cross-cultural alignment between ChatGPT and human societies: An empirical study. arXiv preprint arXiv:2303.17466.
Baidoo-Anu, D., & Ansah, L. O. (2023). Education in the era of generative artificial intelligence (AI): Understanding the potential benefits of ChatGPT in promoting teaching and learning. Journal of AI, 7(1), 52-62.
Barrot, J. S. (2023). Using ChatGPT for second language writing: Pitfalls and potentials. Assessing Writing, 57, 100745.
Baskara, R. (2023). Exploring the implications of ChatGPT for language learning in higher education. Indonesian Journal of English Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics, 7(2), 343-358.
Chávez, Y., & Naranjo, C. (2024). ChatGPT In Spanish College Classes: Is It Beneficial For Listening, Speaking, Reading And Writing Skills? language, 7(06).
Ge, H. (2024,). The role of ChatGPT in Chinese reading education for Chinese as a heritage language (CHL) learners. In Proceedings of the 2024 7th International Conference on Big Data and Education (pp. 17-21).
Kohnke, L., Moorhouse, B. L., & Zou, D. (2023). ChatGPT for language teaching and learning. Relc Journal, 54(2), 537-550.
Pérez-Núñez, A. (2023). Exploring the potential of generative AI (ChatGPT) for foreign language instruction: Applications and challenges. Hispania, 106(3), 355-362.
Pokrivčáková, S. (2019). Preparing teachers for the application of AI-powered technologies in foreign language education. Journal of language and cultural education.