Research on Innovative Teaching Strategies for Minority Language

Teaching in the Context of Artificial Intelligence

Zijie Kang

School of Languages and Communication Studies, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing, China

Keywords: Cross-Cultural Communication, Second Language Acquisition, Teaching Reforms.

Abstract: This article analyzes the characteristics and developmental challenges of teaching less commonly taught lan-

guages. It examines the role of AI in this field, emphasizing the critical importance of AI technology in im-

proving teaching resources, promoting observational teaching, and enhancing teaching interactions. The pro-

spects for using artificial intelligence in teaching less commonly taught languages are vast, and finding a

balance between technological progress in AI and educational philosophy is essential. This paper delves into

specific innovative teaching strategies: firstly, by observing teaching feedback to devise personalized teaching

plans; secondly, by leveraging AI technology to enrich teaching resources and thereby improve teaching out-

comes; and finally, by fully utilizing AI's efficient interactive capabilities to provide robust support for cross-

cultural teaching and practical application of less commonly taught languages.

1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background

With the rapid development of economic

globalization, the economic connections between

countries around the world are becoming increasingly

close, and the demand for high-quality foreign

language talents in society is growing. In recent years,

the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI)

has had a certain impact on various industries.

According to statistics from McKinsey & Company,

the number of organizations using AI has more than

doubled since 2017, and as of 2022, 50% to 60% of

organizations are utilizing AI (McKinsey &

Company, 2022). A study surveying over 1,000

students revealed that more than 89% of students use

GPT to assist with their homework. Many public

schools in the United States have prohibited the use

of GPT due to concerns about cheating. Jenna Lyle, a

spokesperson for the New York City Department of

Education, believes that AI tools cannot cultivate

students' critical thinking and problem-solving

abilities (Lyle, 2023). The use of AI in teaching faces

significant challenges. However, against the

backdrop of the digital transformation of education,

the integration of AI with minority language teaching

has brought opportunities. Leveraging AI technology

to empower minority language teaching is crucial for

innovative teaching reforms in these languages.

1.2 Foundation and Significance

Stephen Krashen proposed the Input Hypothesis in

the early 1980s, which suggests that language

acquisition occurs when learners are exposed to

comprehensible input slightly above their current

level (Krashen, 1985). AI can provide tailored input

at the appropriate level and pace for individual

learners. Merrill Swain proposed the Output

Hypothesis, which emphasizes the importance of

producing language for learning (Swain, 1985). AI

can provide opportunities for language production

through interactive exercises, writing prompts, and

speech recognition technology. Zone of Proximal

Development (ZPD) emphasizes the importance of

social interaction and collaborative learning in

promoting cognitive development (Vygotsky, 1986).

AI can support the ZPD by providing scaffolding and

collaborative tools that help learners achieve their

potential. In summary, these three seating theories

highlight the potential of AI to advance the teaching

of minority languages from the perspectives of input,

output, and interactive collaboration.

Leveraging AI-powered speech recognition and

speech synthesis technologies, along with AI-driven

automated assessment, can facilitate intelligent

Kang, Z.

Research on Innovative Teaching Strategies for Minority Language Teaching in the Context of Artiﬁcial Intelligence.

DOI: 10.5220/0013977300004912

Paper published under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

In Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Innovative Education and Social Development (IESD 2025), pages 215-221

ISBN: 978-989-758-779-5

215

tutoring for students (Guo, 2024). For instance,

language learning applications such as Duolingo,

Hellotalk, and Babbel provide students with

immediate feedback during oral practice, which aids

in enhancing accuracy and fluency of pronunciation.

This reduces the cost of teaching practice for teachers

and subsequently improves the efficiency of teaching.

AI technologies encompass a broad spectrum,

including language recognition, natural language

processing, image recognition, machine learning, and

expert systems, among others (Cao, 2024). For

instance, in the teaching of less commonly taught

languages, AI technology can be utilized to conduct

one-on-one dialogue practices, alleviating the issue of

teachers struggling to ensure effective classroom

dialogues in a one-to-many setting. Rudolph et al.

have explored the potential applications of ChatGPT

in higher education, including introducing innovative

assessments for teaching including the introduction of

innovative teaching assessments, innovative teaching

strategies, the provision of experimental and

experiential learning, and the facilitation of

collaborative learning and teamwork (Rudolph et al.,

2023). In summary, AI is widely applied and holds

immense potential in the teaching of less commonly

taught languages, complementing and enhancing the

field by providing high-quality resources and

efficient academic research tools.

In summary, with the deepening of globalization

and the rapid development of AI technology, the field

of minority language teaching is undergoing a

profound transformation. Traditional teaching

models for minority languages are gradually

becoming digitalized, intelligent, and personalized,

with AI ushering in a new normal for conventional

teaching methods. However, there is currently a

scarcity of specific innovative teaching strategy

research for minority languages, which makes it

difficult to provide practical guidance for teaching

model innovation. This paper explores feasible

innovative teaching strategies for minority languages

in the context of AI, which holds certain innovative

and practical significance for reference.

2 CHARACTERISTICS AND

DEVELOPMENT DILEMMAS

OF MINORITY LANGUAGE

TEACHING

2.1 The Guiding Nature of Relevant

Cultural Education

In the teaching of minority languages, due to cultural

differences with the countries associated with these

languages, it often necessitates the involvement of

related cultural education to guide students in gaining

a deeper understanding and mastery of such linguistic

knowledge. Different cultural values and cultural

diversity are paramount issues in teaching (Thijs et

al., 2024). In the teaching of minority languages,

cultural education should be integrated into

educational activities, encompassing the history,

customs, arts, ethics, beliefs, and other societal habits

that naturally form and are evolving in the countries

associated with these languages. Cultural education

and language teaching are complementary to each

other, essentially, culture is constituted by the belief

systems of language users about the world, life, and

society (Jie, 2023). As a supplement to minority

language teaching, cultural education serves two

purposes: on one hand, it prevents the monotonous

focus on grammar explanations to some extent,

thereby stimulating students' interest in language

learning. On the other hand, it guides students to

understand the origins, development, and usage

contexts of the languages, leading to a more profound

grasp of linguistic knowledge.

However, the practical implementation of cultural

education in minority language teaching is far from

ideal and faces numerous shortcomings. Firstly,

minority language teaching involves cross-cultural

communication, and teachers, due to the lack of

cultural context, inevitably have gaps in their

knowledge. Secondly, given the limitations of

practical conditions, it is difficult to immerse oneself

in the relevant cultural environment for extended

periods, making it challenging to perceive the cultural

background firsthand. At the same time, foreign

language textbooks are one of the cores of foreign

language classrooms and play a significant role in

fostering cross-cultural awareness and

communicative competence in the teaching of less

commonly taught languages (Zhao & Liu, 2024). In

the actual teaching process, there is still a

phenomenon of lacking comprehensive paper-based

teaching materials, such as in the teaching of

Portuguese and Nepali, which are less commonly

IESD 2025 - International Conference on Innovative Education and Social Development

216

taught languages. Due to the absence of authoritative

and uniformly bound textbooks, printed handouts are

used as the primary teaching materials.

2.2 The Interactivity in Minor

Language Teaching

In the teaching of less commonly taught languages,

due to the particularities of the languages, active

student participation is required to enhance the

interaction between teachers and students, thereby

ensuring the implementation of teaching efficiency

and outcomes. The fluency of minor languages is

enhanced in interaction, and the speaker's response

speed, fluency, and error rate can profoundly reflect

the level of mastery of these languages (Alhusain,

2024). For students majoring in less commonly taught

languages, they almost always start from scratch in

learning a new language. Concurrently, compared to

traditional subjects that tend to favor one-way

teaching in the classroom, the teaching of less

commonly taught languages is highly interactive,

requiring students' expressions and thinking to be

achieved through communication. Enhancing the

interactivity in the teaching of less commonly taught

languages not only helps to cultivate students' basic

pronunciation and improve their near-native language

sense but also benefits teachers in better grasping the

teaching situation, timely adjusting teaching

methods, and improving teaching quality and

efficiency.

However, it is worth noting that the interactivity

between teachers and students in the actual teaching

of less commonly taught languages is lacking and in

urgent need of resolution. Firstly, the first two years

have a higher number of language foundation

courses, which are rather dry and intense in teaching

and learning, easily overlooking the importance of

communication and interaction. Secondly, Teachers

may not fully and accurately grasp the characteristics

of students in the new era, leading to less than

satisfactory interactive effects in teaching. Coupled

with the fact that students grow up in the era of

fragmented internet information, they may lack focus

in the classroom, leading to minimal effects of

interaction implementation. Additionally, students

have different language foundations, making it

difficult to achieve comprehensive and efficient one-

on-one interaction in the classroom. Although foreign

teachers corresponding to the language are often

provided in the teaching of less commonly taught

languages and engage in classroom interaction, in

reality, when there are only foreign teachers and

students in the classroom, the language

communication between foreign teachers and

students also becomes a barrier in teaching, and the

accuracy of teaching less commonly taught languages

can also be compromised.

2.3 Minor Language Teaching Aiming

at The Practical Application

In the teaching of less commonly taught languages,

there is a practical purposefulness. In summary, the

cultural guidance and interactive communication in

the teaching of the former two aspects also serve the

actual application. The ability to apply language

includes not only the ability to listen, speak, read, and

write, but also the ability to use language in different

contexts, such as the practical use of slang, tone, and

professional knowledge in the context of economic

and trade. Enhancing the orientation of practical

application in the teaching of less commonly taught

languages can not only optimize recent teaching but

also pave the way for long-term teaching

development, such as cultivating students'

professional qualities, spreading culture, and

introducing excellent foreign cultures.

In practice, despite the awareness of the

importance of practical application in the teaching of

less commonly taught languages, the outcomes

remain minimal. To truly integrate the practical

application into teaching, educators need to create

scenarios for the actual use of these languages to

achieve the objectives of experiential learning.

Traditional classroom teaching sessions are short and

aimed at knowledge dissemination, lacking real-life

scenarios for the authentic use of less commonly

taught languages, making it difficult to achieve

practical application exercises within the classroom

setting.

3 IMPACTS AND ESSENTIALS

OF ARTIFICIAL

INTELLIGENCE ON MINOR

LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION

3.1 Database Perfection

Artificial intelligence is built upon vast databases and

continuously self-optimizes and improves during use,

thereby forming a relatively comprehensive

knowledge system of national cultures. AI facilitates

the teaching of less commonly taught languages by

providing online resources, collaborative platforms,

and personalized teaching networks.

Research on Innovative Teaching Strategies for Minority Language Teaching in the Context of Artiﬁcial Intelligence

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Firstly, regarding academic research in the

teaching of less commonly taught languages, artificial

intelligence assists in completing a large amount of

literature retrieval and organization and utilizes

related data analysis platforms to analyze complex

data. For instance, IBM Watson Studio and Microsoft

Power BI with AI are used to summarize data patterns

and trends, as well as to create visualizations, thereby

enhancing the efficiency and accuracy of teaching

academic research.

Secondly, in terms of optimizing teaching

strategies for less commonly taught languages,

artificial intelligence analyzes and refines teaching

plans based on a vast array of real-case scenarios. For

instance, AI-driven Theoretical Framework

Development can extract keywords and themes from

a plethora of texts, offering new research and teaching

perspectives for less commonly taught languages. AI

can accurately analyze and grasp students' learning

needs and weak points through data analysis, thereby

customizing personalized learning paths and content

for students in the teaching process (Guo, 2024). For

instance, AI can adjust the content and difficulty level

of teaching materials in vocabulary, grammar,

listening, speaking, reading, and writing based on

students' learning behaviors and performance,

thereby enhancing teaching effectiveness.

Additionally, concerning the use of materials for

less commonly taught languages, AI systems contain

a wealth of data resources such as literary works,

cultural history, and course materials related to these

languages. These can serve as a powerful supplement

and expansion to textbooks, increasing the breadth

and depth of teaching in less commonly taught

languages and compensating for the limitations of

textbook length and gaps in teachers' knowledge.

3.2 Facilitating Observational Teaching

Artificial intelligence-generated content (AIGC)

refers to the technology that generates text, images,

sounds, videos, code, and other content based on

algorithms, models, and rules. Observational

teaching, which involves the use of audio and visual

display resources in the classroom, is significantly

enhanced by technologies such as AIGC language

recognition, video examples, and virtual visual

processing. These AI-driven tools play a crucial role

in facilitating observational teaching and are of great

importance to the teaching of less commonly taught

languages.

Firstly, regarding pre-class teaching, the use of

artificial intelligence facilitates students' pre-class

preparation by guiding them to correctly utilize AIGC

for independent learning. Taking the teaching of

Spanish in China as an example, software such as

Daily Spanish Listening, Spanish Assistant, and

Diccionario leverage AI technologies like speech

recognition, machine translation, and grammar

correction for pre-class instruction.

Secondly, for in-class teaching, AIGC technology

can simulate real conversation scenarios and provide

interactive resources for instruction. For instance, the

use of audio and visual displays in classroom teaching

has become relatively widespread, and multimedia

use has become the norm. However, to truly reflect

interactive scenarios, appropriate one-on-one human-

computer dialogues also play a role. Khan Academy's

Khanmigo is an AI that can provide one-on-one

tutoring for students through simulated classroom

discussions and case analyses in various forms. This

interactive teaching not only compensates for the

teacher's inability to achieve one-on-one detailed

instruction but also allows students to grasp

knowledge in a more vivid context, thereby

improving teaching efficiency.

Lastly, for post-class teaching, AIGC can be

simply described as promoting students' post-class

organization and consolidation. For example, Kimi

AI Assistant's machine translation, writing correction

optimization, and question answering can be utilized

for post-class instruction. Additionally, online live

streaming and replays on course platforms extend the

value cycle of less commonly taught languages'

teaching, helping to resolve student questions

promptly, breaking the temporal and spatial

limitations of teaching activities, and facilitating post-

class instruction.

3.3 Promoting Interactive Teaching

Interactive simulation technology based on artificial

intelligence provides language use models for

teaching, reducing the distance and cost between

interpersonal communications to a certain extent, and

solving the practical application problems of less

commonly taught languages in terms of time and

space. Considering the particularity of teaching less

commonly taught languages, which is always

oriented towards realistic expression and practical

application, the promotion of interactive teaching by

artificial intelligence is crucial for these languages.

AI technology simulates real language

environments, offering immersion and efficiency in

learning less commonly taught languages. In

particular, virtual reality (VR) technology has been

applied in the teaching of less commonly taught

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languages, providing students with an immersive

learning environment. Taking the Double 4 VR

intelligent interactive teaching system as an example,

the system simulates real language environments

through three-dimensional images and real-time

interactive functions, allowing students to interact

with virtual characters in virtual scenarios such as

shopping malls, restaurants, and streets, practicing

language use. This teaching method, which simulates

real environments, not only stimulates students'

interest in learning and increases their participation

but also promotes the improvement of oral expression

skills through real-time interactive functions.

Additionally, the system provides real-time voice

correction and grammatical guidance, offering

corresponding scores and suggestions based on

students' learning performance, thereby enhancing

teaching efficiency.

4 INNOVATIVE TEACHING

APPROACHES FOR MINOR

LANGUAGES

4.1 Utilizing AI for Formulating

Individualized Teaching Schemes

AI enhances teaching efficiency through intelligent

interaction and feedback. With the aid of speech

recognition and natural language processing

technologies, AI systems can monitor and analyze

students' oral practice in real time, providing

immediate pronunciation corrections and fluency

feedback (Guo, 2024).

Specific innovative strategies are as follows:

Teachers collaborate in the development or

refinement of classroom recording systems and

increase AI intervention in the classroom. AI can be

used to record students' pronunciation, word usage,

grammar collocation, fluency, and other aspects of

their speech on a one-to-one basis. Then, through AI's

data analysis and processing, suggestions are

provided for students in terms of pronunciation and

grammar. Teachers, combining their teaching

experience, offer more refined, professional, and

practical methodological advice, and implement

supervision to thereby enhance the effectiveness of

classroom feedback. This fully leverages AI to

facilitate observational teaching of less commonly

taught languages, record classroom feedback in real

time, and propose personalized teaching plans. As an

auxiliary tool, AI undoubtedly contributes to the

form, efficiency, and effectiveness of teaching less

commonly taught languages.

4.2 Utilizing AI for Teaching Resource

Enrichment

Considering factors such as student interests, learning

styles, and teaching progress, the AI system is

capable of recommending appropriate learning

materials, exercises, and auxiliary tools to enrich

teaching methods (Guo, 2024). Teaching resources

should not be limited to textbooks; all forms of music,

images, videos, and more are part of the teaching

resources. It is evident that the vast database of AI

greatly enriches the presentation of teaching

resources.

The specific innovative strategies are as follows:

Teachers can utilize AI to search for relevant

knowledge systems during the preparation of

courseware and classroom design before class,

serving as a supplement to textbooks. Additionally,

for post-class consolidation exercises, AI can be used

to collect materials in listening, speaking, reading,

and writing for various less commonly taught

languages, finding the most suitable exercises. It is

worth noting that, based on the interactive and

practical application characteristics of less commonly

taught languages, consolidation exercises should not

be limited to written forms. AI can provide a vast

database of audio materials for less commonly taught

languages. Utilizing AI search and even creating

images that align with classroom knowledge can

guide students in exercises such as descriptive

speaking and dialogue based on images. This fully

leverages AI's massive data and information retrieval

capabilities, enriching teaching resources and

addressing potential limitations in available

resources. AI undoubtedly expands the forms of

teaching less commonly taught languages, and the

rich teaching resources promote the teaching of these

languages.

4.3 Utilizing AI for Promoting the

Practical Application in Teaching

AI can simulate real-life language communication

scenarios, assisting students in practicing listening

and conversational skills and promoting their

practical language use (Guo, 2024). Culture plays a

significant role in the teaching of less commonly

taught languages, and the purpose of such teaching is

to facilitate practical application. AI technology

extends the opportunities for cross-cultural

Research on Innovative Teaching Strategies for Minority Language Teaching in the Context of Artiﬁcial Intelligence

219

communication and practice, enhancing language

practical application skills and cultural understanding

abilities, thereby aiding in the teaching of less

commonly taught languages.

The specific innovative strategies are as follows:

Teachers can utilize AI virtual technology to provide

realistic and situational teaching scenarios for less

commonly taught languages, which is conducive to

students deepening their impressions and enhancing

learning efficiency through hands-on practice,

thereby achieving effective teaching. For instance,

the official website of Sagrada Família in Spain

employs AI virtual technology to create images that

vividly and meticulously depict the splendor of the

basilica. The use of such AI technology in teaching

by educators can give students a feeling of being

present on-site, strengthening teaching effectiveness.

Moreover, most less commonly taught language

majors offer opportunities for exchange studies, one

of the main purposes of which is to cultivate language

sensitivity and related cultural literacy in a genuine

linguistic environment, thereby promoting the

practical use of less commonly taught languages. AI

technology can set up the required scenarios anytime

and anywhere, breaking the constraints of time and

space in reality. This requires powerful AI technology

as a condition, and AI's efficient interactive functions

undoubtedly compensate for the deficiencies in cross-

cultural communication and practical application

teaching of less commonly taught languages, thereby

promoting the teaching of these languages.

5 CONCLUSION

AI has vast prospects in the teaching of less

commonly taught languages, with teachers leading

and AI serving as an indispensable and increasingly

integrated tool. Seeking a balance between

technological progress in AI and educational

philosophy ensures that AI technology and the role of

teachers effectively complement each other, jointly

driving the transformation and innovation in the

teaching of less commonly taught languages.

This paper discusses innovative teaching

strategies for less commonly taught languages in the

context of artificial intelligence: utilizing AI's

extensive database, information processing

capabilities, and efficient interactive functions, which

play a significant role in cross-cultural

communication, supplementary teaching resources,

and practical application exercises within the

teaching of less commonly taught languages. It also

proposes effective and concrete implementation

strategies, enriching the relatively unexplored field of

AI technology application in teaching less commonly

taught languages. This approach holds a certain level

of innovation and practical reference significance.

With ongoing exploration and practice, AI is

anticipated to assume a more critical role in the

teaching of less commonly taught languages in the

future. AI technology, in collaboration with teachers,

can conduct more efficient digital teaching of less

commonly taught languages, leading to a qualitative

shift in the form, efficiency, and effectiveness of such

teaching practices.

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