Chapter 6. New Questions for Old Problems: Can AI Help Us Decolonize Language Education?
Jonathan Donnellan
Abstract
This chapter explores the potential of AI as a tool for decolonizing language education. Drawing on theoretical frameworks related to coloniality and epistemic power, the author considers how AI might both reinforce and challenge dominant knowledge structures. Practical suggestions are offered for educators seeking to use AI in ways that promote more inclusive and locally grounded approaches to language teaching.
About the Contributor
Jonathan Donnellan is a senior assistant professor at Sojo University in Kumamoto, Japan. Before moving to Kumamoto, he also taught in Miyazaki and Osaka in Japan, as well as in the UK, China, and Türkiye. His main research interest is social justice in education, especially relating to issues of coloniality and decoloniality. He is particularly interested in the hidden curriculums of educational environments, such as those embedded in teaching materials, in digital tools, in teaching practices, or in architecture and the use of space. He is currently writing his PhD at Lancaster University on colonial and decolonial tensions in EFL teachers’ uses of AI.
Citation
Donnellan, J. (2026). New questions for old problems: Can AI help us decolonize language education? In R. Dykes, O. Edwards, D. Bollen, & T. S. W. Lin (Eds.), Artificial intelligence in Japan’s language learning classrooms (pp. 145–170). Candlin & Mynard. https://doi.org/10.47908/45/6
This chapter explores the potential of AI as a tool for decolonizing language education. Drawing on theoretical frameworks related to coloniality and epistemic power, the author considers how AI might both reinforce and challenge dominant knowledge structures. Practical suggestions are offered for educators seeking to use AI in ways that promote more inclusive and locally grounded approaches to language teaching.
About the Contributor
Jonathan Donnellan is a senior assistant professor at Sojo University in Kumamoto, Japan. Before moving to Kumamoto, he also taught in Miyazaki and Osaka in Japan, as well as in the UK, China, and Türkiye. His main research interest is social justice in education, especially relating to issues of coloniality and decoloniality. He is particularly interested in the hidden curriculums of educational environments, such as those embedded in teaching materials, in digital tools, in teaching practices, or in architecture and the use of space. He is currently writing his PhD at Lancaster University on colonial and decolonial tensions in EFL teachers’ uses of AI.
Citation
Donnellan, J. (2026). New questions for old problems: Can AI help us decolonize language education? In R. Dykes, O. Edwards, D. Bollen, & T. S. W. Lin (Eds.), Artificial intelligence in Japan’s language learning classrooms (pp. 145–170). Candlin & Mynard. https://doi.org/10.47908/45/6
Information About the Book
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Title: Artificial Intelligence in Japan’s Language Learning Classroom
Editors: Robert Dykes, Oliver Edwards, Dave Bollen, and Tina Shu-wen Lin Publication date: June 2026 Read more... |