AI Adoption in Foreign Language Education through a Freirean lens

This presentation examines Paulo Freire’s critical pedagogy in the context of contemporary educational processes shaped by artificial intelligence. It aligns Freire’s key insights—such as dialogue, critical thinking, and the rejection of the "banking model" of education— with the evolving requirements outlined in current AI policy frameworks, including the EU AI Act and related ethical guidelines. Through qualitative document analysis, the presentation highlights the emerging teacher competencies emphasized in these regulations, including professional engagement, effective use of digital resources, inclusive teaching and learning practices, learner empowerment, and the facilitation of transformative educational experiences. In a Freirean sense, these competencies are essential not only to defy passive, top-down models of instruction, but to cultivate critical awareness and diminish hierarchical student–teacher dichotomies. The presentation reconsiders traditional approaches to language teaching and offers new insights into the integration of AI in foreign language education. It proposes a holistic, human-centered framework for teacher education—one that embraces the transformative potential of AI while remaining grounded in emancipatory, ethically informed pedagogy. Concrete classroom strategies will be shared to support educators in navigating AI-enhanced environments critically and responsibly.