Schools implement AI translation tools to aid English learners amid challenges

Schools across the United States are increasingly adopting artificial intelligence-powered translation tools to support students and families who speak languages other than English. With more than 5 million English learner (ELL) students nationwide, educators are seeking ways to help them participate in classroom activities and communicate with their peers.

In New York City, first grade teacher Madison Weidner has seen changes since her school introduced devices called Pocketalk, which allow students to press a button and have their speech translated for classmates. "Last year I had students not participating, they didn't have a lot of confidence," Weidner said. "Can you imagine sitting in a classroom and they're speaking a completely different language? I’ve noticed a huge difference with using [AI-enabled] tools. They’re not only participating in conversations with their peers but now they’re able to hear the gist of a lesson as well."

Weidner’s class includes about one-third ELL students, some of whom speak no English at all. She notes that before AI tools were available, communication relied heavily on hand gestures or pulling children out for additional ELL services, which sometimes resulted in missing key details.

The technology is also being used outside classrooms. In Washington County, Virginia, Superintendent Keith Perrigan explained that the district uses Duoecho Smart Glasses connected to an app for translating conversations between Spanish-speaking parents and school staff during enrollment or administrative interactions. However, he emphasized that for student use, these devices are only employed when necessary. "It’s more of a crutch in the classroom," Perrigan said. "Our number one goal is getting them fluent in reading, writing and understanding English as quickly as possible."

Experts like Becky Huang from Ohio State University see AI translation devices as useful tools for helping newcomers bridge language gaps: "You want students to be able to leverage their native language," she said. "Otherwise it’s sink or swim, which is not a good approach."

Victor Lee from Stanford Accelerator for Learning’s AI+Education highlighted both the promise and limitations of these technologies: "On the one hand, it’s encouraging because it has the potential to increase participation and learning opportunities when differences in language are creating difficulty for them," he stated. "On the other side of it, I would hope as this technology gets used, it’s done so with caution and awareness of major limitations that exist, even with state-of-the-art devices."

Despite their benefits, teachers report challenges such as mistranslations or inaccuracies—especially when dealing with children's voices or soft-spoken students—and warn against over-reliance on technology. Weidner noted: "I’ll notice when a student is telling me something, whatever it translates back doesn’t make sense; you can tell when you're saying something the child looks back at you, like, ‘Wait, what?’ And same with what they say back to me. As an adult I can use context clues, but it does happen a lot more often than I’d like it. I wish there was something that was 100 percent accurate, but there isn't that just yet."

Huang pointed out that generative AI models may lack sufficient training data for certain languages or dialects among children: "AI is trained on large language models, so if they don't have enough Mandarin-speaking children, they would mark everything wrong," she explained.

Lawrence Paska from ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) cautioned about missing cultural context: “We’re still working on reliability and validity; the big issue with any computer-based tool is context,” Paska said.

There are currently no specific ACTFL guidelines on using AI for language learning due to rapidly evolving technology; instead the organization offers ongoing training through webinars and focus groups.

Concerns about unintended consequences—including loss of cultural context and missed opportunities for personal interaction—have been raised by organizations such as the National Education Association.

Teachers like Weidner take care not to let students become too dependent on these tools since future teachers may not use similar technologies: “If they go to second grade and their teachers don't use it then they're back to square one,” she said.