Teaching with ChatGPT as a linguistically responsive tool for multilingual learners

This study investigates the instructional applications of ChatGPT and other AI tools in the context of K-12 multilingual learner (ML) education in US public schools. Framed within a translanguaging lens, the research seeks to empirically document how these technologies are used by teachers to support language and literacy learning among MLs. Data was collected from two cohorts of in-service teachers enrolled in a professional development course focused on culturally and linguistically responsive pedagogy, with classroom observations and post-observation interviews conducted with 42 teachers across various grade levels and content areas. The findings reveal several key practices, including using ChatGPT to facilitate communication, differentiate content, provide structured support for prompting, and engage in multimodal literacy experimentation. These practices align with dimensions of translanguaging pedagogy, particularly in terms of affordances, production, and co-labor, although gaps remain in the areas of assessment and reflection. The study highlights the potential of AI tools to enhance MLs’ linguistic responsiveness and agency, while also emphasizing the need for critical engagement and explicit instruction to address the challenges and ethical considerations associated with AI integration in education.