The Macao Polytechnic University (MPU)-Bell Centre of English held its third Creative English Language Teaching (ELT) Forum on Thursday, bringing together scholars from various universities to discuss how artificial intelligence (AI) can enhance English teaching and learning in Macau, according to a statement from the public university that day.
The forum focused on how AI can support high-quality English education, with Huang Chu-ren from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) joining as commentator, the statement said, which underlined that he’s ranked among the top 2 percent of global scientists in the AI field by Stanford/Elsevier in 2024.
Key speakers included Kathleen Ahrens from PolyU in Hong Kong and Simon Mark Harrison from City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK), along with Director of the MPU-Bell Centre, David Sansom, and English for Specific Purposes (ESP) trainers Áine Ní Bhroin and Mark Rodehorst, the statement said.
According to the statement, Ahrens showed how AI generates dialogues from authentic texts and transforms literature into a “reader’s theatre” to boost student engagement, pointing out that she also reminds teachers that AI output is merely “raw materials” requiring human verification and that ethical use must be ensured.
Meanwhile, Harrison introduced AI-guided oral feedback tools such as Moodie.ai, while cautioning that rule systems used by AI may contain biases, the statement noted.
Huang noted that AI does not truly “think”, highlighting that human communication involves joint interpretation that AI has yet to achieve, though he recognised significant progress in models such as “Qwen”, the statement said.
The forum gathered principals and representatives from more than 10 local primary and secondary schools, along with MPU teaching staff, the statement noted, adding that nearly a hundred participants engaged with the speakers.
MPU-Bell Centre of English said in the statement that it will continue to advance innovative English teaching and aims to expand international English examination certifications, supporting talent development for Macau’s evolving technological landscape.
This handout photo provided by the Macao Polytechnic University (MPU) last week shows Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s (PolyU) Kathleen Ahrens addressing Thursday’s Creative English Language Teaching (ELT) Forum in Zape.
