Lecturers from the VMU Institute of Foreign Languages participated in an international conference at the RTU Liepaja Academy
scientific conference “The Word: Aspects of Research,” held at the RTU Liepaja Academy. The event was dedicated to the 400th anniversary of Liepaja and brought together linguists, translation, education, and interdisciplinary research experts from the Baltic States and other European countries.
The researchers from VDU UKI presented a joint scientific report entitled “AI in English Language Learning: Student Perceptions, Practices, and Pedagogical Implications,” prepared by Aurelija Čėgytė, Asta Balčiūnaitienė, Lina Abraitienė, and Vaida Misevičiūtė. The report analyzes how university students perceive and use artificial intelligence (AI) tools when learning English, what advantages and limitations they identify, and what pedagogical insights this provides to higher education teachers.
The study revealed several important aspects: Most students use AI sporadically, mostly for translation, grammar explanations, or text generation. Awareness of specialized language learning tools is limited, and intermediate and advanced interactions with AI (e.g., speech chatbots, pronunciation analysis) are rarely used. From a pedagogical point of view, it is necessary to strengthen students’ ability to critically evaluate the information provided by AI, encourage ethical and conscious use, and emphasize the application of AI not only to written but also to spoken language practice.
The conference also featured discussions on language research trends, word usage in various contexts, interdisciplinary methods, and the role of modern technologies in linguistics. The event played an important role in strengthening scientific cooperation in the Baltic region and opening up new partnerships for future projects.
Participation in the conference confirmed VDU UKI’s commitment to actively participate in the international academic community, disseminate research results, and contribute to the development of innovative language teaching and learning practices.
