Beijing, April 3, 2025 — The Language Centre hosted its 31st Faculty Academic Salon on April 3, spotlighting the role of artificial intelligence in enhancing Chinese language instruction for international learners. Themed “AI-Empowered Teaching”, the salon marked the first of the semester and drew nearly 40 faculty members from across the Centre’s teaching and research teams.
The event featured presentations by Dr. Mu Lei and Dr. Li Shui, who shared insights from both practical and theoretical perspectives on integrating AI technologies into language instruction.
Dr. Mu introduced her course Elementary Chinese Reading and Writing, which is part of Tsinghua’s inaugural cohort of AI-empowered teaching pilot programs launched in 2024. Drawing on her classroom experience, she outlined how the Tsinghua AI Learning Companion supports students in developing writing ideas, improving structural logic, and enhancing argumentation. She also discussed the differences between AI-assisted grading and traditional assessment methods, presenting survey data on students’ use of AI tools to provide evidence-based support for continued innovation in instruction.
Dr. Li delivered a presentation titled “Integrating Multiple Intelligence Theory and AI Technologies to Enhance Differentiated Instruction in China Overview. She introduced the concept of augmented intelligence and demonstrated, through case studies, how combining multiple intelligence theory with AI technologies can support both personalized learning and differentiated teaching. Emphasizing a student-centered approach, she highlighted the potential of AI to foster co-development between teachers and students, and to maximize the synergistic effects of human and artificial intelligence in the classroom.
In his closing remarks, Language Centre Director Wu Yunxin emphasized that the integration of AI into teaching is reshaping both pedagogical practice and academic research. He encouraged instructors to explore AI-powered methods, fully utilize platforms such as the Tsinghua AI Learning Companion, and continue to elevate the quality and vitality of their teaching.
The Language Centre has made AI-driven instruction a strategic focus in recent years. In the fall of 2024, the Centre invited Professor Lu Jiwen from the Department of Automation at Tsinghua University and Professor Xin Ping from Peking University’s School of Chinese as a Second Language to deliver lectures on AI technology and writing pedagogy. To date, ten courses from the Center have been selected for Tsinghua’s AI-empowered teaching pilot programs.
Looking ahead, the Centre plans to host three Faculty Academic salons on AI this semester, exploring the use of AI in teaching Chinese as a foreign language, second foreign languages, and general English. These initiatives aim to promote continued innovation in language education and contribute to the broader goals of excellence in teaching and learning.
