Exploring critical AI literacy in language education: A case study

Abstract The emergence of generative AI (genAI) tools has called into question traditional roles of language education professors. However, existing research has yet to comprehensively examine the opportunities and challenges these tools present in language education, particularly from the perspectives of language educators and learners. This article presents a case study, conducted in a university Intermediate Spanish class with 11 students in spring 2024, and explored students' experiences of genAI applications in language learning. Using data drawn from course assignments, discussions, and surveys, we surface several themes including how students characterize relations between genAI and creativity, ethics, and language education. While genAI tools sparked creative engagement and promoted awareness of language construction, they also revealed gaps in reliability, emphasizing the need for careful, informed use and professors' guidance. We also use our analysis to discuss several pedagogical implications that further contextual and responsive uses of genAI in language learning to inform research and practice as well as next steps to expand this study.