Artificial Intelligence in Japan's Language learning Classrooms

Artificial Intelligence in Japan’s Language Learning Classrooms
Edited by Robert Dykes, Oliver Edwards, Dave Bollen, and Tina Shu-wen Lin (Life and Education in Japan Series)

Artificial Intelligence in Japan’s Language Learning Classrooms brings together leading researchers and practitioners to explore how generative AI is reshaping language education in Japan. Moving beyond initial enthusiasm and concern, the volume offers a nuanced and critical examination of AI’s role in second language acquisition, classroom practice, and institutional policy. The contributors highlight a wide range of perspectives, from practical applications such as AI-assisted feedback, writing support, and pragmatic instruction, to broader questions about motivation, teacher beliefs, and the evolving roles of learners and educators.

At the same time, the authors engage directly with pressing challenges, including issues of ethics, bias, academic integrity, and the implications of AI for equitable and inclusive language education. Grounded in the Japanese context yet relevant to global debates, this volume provides valuable insights for educators, researchers, and policymakers seeking to understand and respond to the rapidly changing relationship between language learning and artificial intelligence.

Introduction to This Volume. Oliver Edwards, Robert Dykes, and Dave Bollen

Part 1: The Role of Generative AI in SLA

Chapter 1 The End of Second Language Acquisition? Robert Swier

Part 2: Practical AI Applications in Language Learning

Chapter 2 Corrective Feedback in the Age of AI. Robert Hirschel and Kayoko Horai
Chapter 3 Generative AI as a Writing Feedback Companion: Practice, Efficacy, and Student Beliefs. Mariia Melnikova and Ashton E. Dawes
Chapter 4 Exploring the Potential of ChatGPT for Enhancing Pragmatic Instructions: Generating and Analyzing Conversation Closings. Yukie Saito

Part 3: Bias, Ethics, and Decolonization

Chapter 5 What’s Wrong With This Picture? Japanese Students Explore Racial and Gender Bias in AI-Generated Images. Matthew Wiegand
Chapter 6 New Questions for Old Problems: Can AI Help Us Decolonize Language Education? Jonathan Donnellan
Chapter 7 Discussing the Vignette Technique for Assessing Student Perception of Ethical AI Use in the L2 Learning Environment. Joel Neff and Kasumi Arciaga

Part 4: Learning Curve: AI in the Classroom, Perceptions, Policies, and Pedagogies

Chapter 8 The Impact of AI on Motivation for Language Learning. Michiyo Oda and Ryo Saito
Chapter 9 Teachers’ Perceptions of AI Technologies. Yurika Ito
Chapter 10 Student Perceptions of AI Chatbots in Language Learning Classrooms in Japan. Steven MacWhinnie
Chapter 11 Navigating AI Ethics in Japanese Higher Education: Policies, Challenge, and Collaborative Efforts. Anthony Brian Gallagher

Conclusions

Conclusion: Mediating the Future of AI in Language Education. Robert Dykes

About the editors

Robert Dykes (Senior Editor) teaches at Sojo University in Kumamoto, Japan. He has volunteered with the Japan Association for Language Teaching (JALT) since 2016 and has held over 20 positions within the organization. He has chaired the JALT College and University Educators, Computer-Assisted Language Learning, and PanSIG conferences. His research interests reflect his severe attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, ranging across motivation, foreign language anxiety, typography, computer-mediated communication platforms such as Reddit, and Minecraft in the language classroom. More recently, his work has focused on artificial intelligence and language learning. Dykes is a two-time Best of JALT winner and currently holds a powerlifting bench press record in the Fukuoka division. He unabashedly considers himself a horror movie aficionado.

Oliver Edwards (Editor) first became interested in the intersection of technology and language through digitisation work for the Corpus of Modern Scottish Writing. This interest led to his master’s thesis on the development of e-readers and e-books and underpins his thinking on the use of AI within linguistics. Since moving to Japan in 2013, he has worked as an English teacher and published research focused on language learner motivation, the roles of emotions in the language classroom, and Global Englishes. He currently teaches English Communication within the Sojo University International Learning Centre, where he is a lead editor for the university’s English language SILC journal.

David Bollen (Editor) is an Associate Professor at Sojo University in Kumamoto, where he has worked since 2010. Dave received his PhD from the Queensland University of Technology, focusing on English loanwords in Japanese. His research interests include vocabulary acquisition, extensive reading, and academic writing. He lives in Kumamoto with his wife and three daughters.

Tina Shu-wen Lin (Editor) is an Assistant Professor at Fu Jen Catholic University in Taiwan, where she teaches both General English and English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses. Before returning to her hometown, she taught at Sojo University in Kumamoto, Japan, from 2018 to 2021. Since earning her doctorate in Education from Durham University in the UK, she has pursued research in ESP, Global Englishes, reflective pedagogy, and self-directed learning. She is excited to join this editorial team alongside colleagues exploring how emerging technologies, including AI, are reshaping language learning and teaching.

Publication details

Publication date: June 2026
ISBN:
ISBN:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.47908/45
Ebook, $19.99
Print book, 280 pages, $29.99
Series: Life and Education in Japan
Series editors: Melodie Cook and Anne Howard