Join us in celebrating the brilliance of our students as they take center stage to illuminate the future of AI-driven language innovation at UVA.
Title: Seeing Voices: A Student-Centered Showcase on AI in SLA
Time/date: 3-4PM, Wednesday, April 1, 2026
Location: Language Commons (298 New Cabell Hall)
Faculty facilitators: Miao-fen Tseng (CHIN); Janay Crabtree (ESL), Anna Borovskaya-Ellis (SLAV), and Nicole Bonino (SPAN/ITAL)
Student presenters: Andrew Liu, Sofie Neibuhr, and John Nickless (CHIN); Tara Sury and Isabella Adams (ESL); Robert Trombley and Ali DiChiara (SLAV); Bella Tesoriere (ITAL) and Hannah Tittermary (SPAN)
Abstract (Long version): Seeing Voices celebrates innovation, student agency, and community-building across world language programs at UVA while affirming the essential role students play in shaping the future of AI literacy in Second Language Acquisition (SLA). It is a one-of-a-kind student showcase featuring live presentations in the form of interactive gallery walk-stations. The goal of this event is to center students as active contributors to the evolving conversation on AI and language learning. Unlike traditional faculty-led talks where student voices are quoted, summarized, or interpreted, this event invites students to present their own AI-integrated projects and significant assignments. Faculty members representing Chinese, ESL, Italian, Slavic, and Spanish will be present to offer brief pedagogical context, but the spotlight remains on the students. This showcase provides them with a unique opportunity to practice public speaking, apply theoretical concepts in real-world settings, and share their accomplishments in a supportive, visible space. It also opens a window into the collaborative, behind-the-scenes work of language pedagogy. Join us to witness the next frontier of language pedagogy, where student innovation and Generative AI redefine the landscape of SLA at UVA.
Abstract (Short Version): Seeing Voices celebrates the next frontier of language pedagogy at UVA. Moving beyond traditional faculty-led talks, this interactive gallery walk centers student agency, inviting learners from Chinese, ESL, Italian, Slavic, and Spanish programs to showcase their own AI-integrated projects. Witness how students are shifting from passive learners to active co-constructors of AI literacy. Join us to explore these live presentations and see firsthand how Generative AI is redefining the landscape of Second Language Acquisition.