With the advancement of technology, the AI era has brought profound impacts and challenges to the field of education. Since the release of ChatGPT in November 2022, the development of language teaching and learning has faced entirely new challenges, while also inspiring innovative thinking about the integration of AI technology into education. This study focuses on the practice of incorporating ChatGPT into the curriculum design of Japanese language and culture-related courses at T University. By analyzing learners’ reflections and feedback during an “Easy Language” translation activity, the study explores their perspectives on using this tool and seeks to uncover the potential created through human-AI interaction.
The results of the practice show that, prior to taking the course, learners generally held positive views towards using ChatGPT, mainly from the perspectives of convenience and functionality. However, after using the tool to assist with “Easy Language” translation, their views shifted toward emphasizing key considerations when using ChatGPT, such as the importance of giving clear instructions and the need for users to review and revise the output. In addition, while some learners felt that ChatGPT provided limited support in “Easy Language” translation, most learners reexamined its strengths and weaknesses through the course activities and redefined the value of the user’s role. Furthermore, during their interactions with ChatGPT, each learner developed different ways of thinking and improved different sets of skills.
