Chinese language departments redraw courses in response to AI

Chinese universities specialising in foreign language studies are rapidly redrawing their offerings as the rise of artificial intelligence and translation tools is expected to accelerate changes in student tastes.

Shanghai International Studies University (SISU), one of China’s best-known institutions for foreign language studies, has launched an “AI plus” steering group, with a series of new programmes planned in response to the advance of auto-translation apps.

“Artificial intelligence technology has been profoundly changing the content and models of education,” said Li Yansong, SISU’s vice-chancellor and head of the AI steering group.

Beijing Foreign Studies University, one of the country’s leading institutions in the field, has added several interdisciplinary subjects to its undergraduate programme list, such as Japanese with Japan studies, and French with international relations.

“The attempts to combine language education with other subjects are nothing new to foreign language schools or departments,” Zihui Lu, a lecturer in Japanese studies at SISU, told Times Higher Education.

“However, a trend in recent years has been the shift from liberal arts or business majors to science and engineering majors. Some universities even combine language studies with their top majors to attract more students. This year, at least Southeast University and Tongji University have done so.”

The trend has been reflected in university admissions, too, with data indicating that the lowest rank of students recruited by top language universities has dropped in recent years. The same has happened to foreign language schools in comprehensive universities, such as Chongqing University, Sichuan University and Sun Yat-sen University. This means that specialist foreign language institutions have been accepting students with lower gaokao scores even if application numbers have held steady.

In addition to fierce competition for talented students, the sluggish job market that graduates will encounter has forced language departments to evolve.

“The language education sector has grabbed the chance to offer more courses in area studies now,” Dr Lu said. “As many more students choose to apply for graduate schools, turning to area studies – which are more theoretical and methodological than practical – might be more useful to students.”

She added: “Foreign language schools have long sensed the ‘existential crisis’, but the crisis was perhaps exacerbated by AI, the economic downturn, and some social media influencers claiming foreign language majors will be replaced.”

karen.liu@timeshighereducation.com