What should students learn when artificial intelligence can provide an answer almost instantly? In this episode of The Multiliterate Mind, Marnina Falk Colman and Dr. Liza Trejo welcome educator, author, consultant, and global education leader Dr. Le Dinh Bao Quoc for a thought-provoking conversation about AI, language learning, student-centered education, human intelligence, and the future of teaching.
Drawing on more than 20 years in education in Vietnam and beyond, Dr. Quoc shares how his understanding of language evolved from vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, and test performance toward something much larger:
Language is a bridge.
It creates access, confidence, opportunity, and meaningful human connection.
As artificial intelligence transforms education, however, educators face a new challenge. Technology can analyze student data, generate language, produce content, and provide information almost instantly.
So what remains uniquely human?
The conversation explores why educators must focus on the learner rather than the tool, how AI could change assessment, why technology should support rather than replace student thinking, and why critical-thinking skills may become increasingly important as machines gain access to more information.
Dr. Quoc also raises a provocative question:
Are humans training AI, or is AI beginning to train us?
From classroom observations and teacher professional development to AI literacy and meaningful communication, this episode challenges educators to look beyond the newest technology and ask a more important question:
Is the student actually learning?
Because in an AI-driven world, the future of education may depend not simply on how effectively we use technology, but on how intentionally we preserve curiosity, critical thinking, human connection, and meaningful communication.