Rethinking the Teaching of Reading and Writing in an AI Era

Teaching reading and writing in an increasingly AI-driven world can sometimes feel challenging. After all, with the right prompting, AI can produce remarkable written content quite efficiently. While I recognize the necessity of AI in addressing critical issues that require for example, its immense capacity to analyze and its time-saving nature, I believe we need to re-evaluate its role in reading and writing classes and consider more traditional approaches in the classroom.

Sometimes, it's forgotten that we, too, are a form of "natural intelligence" and, like AI, require data to engage in our version of "machine learning". Our learners need rich and varied input and ample opportunities for output and feedback. In the classroom, this translates as the necessity for intensive reading (the kind that our coursebooks offer) and extensive reading (reading for pleasure). In intensive reading, I think Scott Thornbury said it best during a video session he conducted for us here at Princess Noura University in 2019 when he explained that a reading text needs to be "peeled like an onion." This means that learners should analyze a reading text for its content (TAVI: Text as a Vehicle for Information), which includes reading for the gist and details. Then, they can examine its linguistic content (TALO: Text as a linguistic Object).

Here, we would raise the learners’ awareness of the linguistic features in the reading passage. You could ask the learners to identify an essay's thesis statement and topic sentences, highlight grammar structures, or analyze how sentences are connected. The possibilities are endless. The key point is to help learners become aware of these features and elements in order for them to begin to emulate what they have read.

We should also encourage our learners to read for pleasure. This can be achieved in the classroom through reading circles, where learners in a group select a book (for example, a graded reader) to read and discuss together. The teacher could offer suggestions and dedicate some time during class for learners to discuss the text or even enjoy quiet, undisturbed reading for pleasure. To ensure this time is productive, the teacher can prompt learners to change the ending of the story, add a character, remove a character, or engage in other creative tasks that allow their ideas to flow.

 Finally, students need to write more with pen to paper and less with fingers to the keyboard. Jonathan Lambert, in his article "Why Writing by Hand Beats Typing for Thinking and Learning,"  presents studies that show putting pen to paper aids in memory retention and cognitive processing. What could this look like in a classroom? Encourage students to write down their vocabulary lists, write their essays on paper and even and compose their answers to discussion questions before speaking.

I want to emphasize that I understand and appreciate the value of AI. As a teacher, I use it; it significantly reduces my planning time, helps me do mundane tasks such as drafting emails, and even generates ideas when I find myself short of them. Additionally, I believe that some limited use of AI in the classroom can be beneficial. For instance, it can help learners proofread their work or, like me, generate ideas. 

That said, I feel it is important to remember that much like AI's "black box," we too have an analog version. This version requires substantial input—lots of it—to produce results. Let's encourage our learners to see themselves as creatives who also need significant input (reading) and output (writing), and let's support and encourage the journey of learning along the way.

Written by: Selem Habtezion

Edited by: Nuha AlRufayi.

References :

1- https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2024/05/11/1250529661/handwriting-cursive-typing-schools-learning-brain#:~:text=Recent%20brain%20imaging%20studies%20bolster,at%20frequencies%20associated%20with%20learning.

2- https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/professional-development/teachers/managing-resources/articles/text-language-classrooms-talo-tavi