The Language Innovators

In this first episode of The Language Innovators Podcast (originally published on January 26, 2026), Linh Phung and Nikolas Wolfe interview Professor Rod Ellis, one of the most influential scholars in Second Language Acquisition (SLA), to explore Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) and the growing role of AI in language education. Together, they discuss the fundamentals of TBLT, implicit/ explicit learning, and the potential and dangers of AI in language education and beyond. This interview is hosted by Eduling: The Hub for Task-Based Teaching and Learning, an AI-powered platform designed to make meaningful, task-based language teaching accessible to every language teacher and learner. Eduling brings the most empirically validated approach to language learning, Task-Based Language Teaching, to life through intelligent agents, expertly designed tasks, and authentic communication experiences.
Eduling website: https://eduling.ai
Eduling app: https://app.eduling.ai 
👤 About Professor Rod Ellis Professor Rod Ellis is a world-renowned linguist and a leading expert in Second Language Acquisition. He is best known for bridging SLA theory and classroom practice, particularly through his influential work on Task-Based Language Teaching, implicit and explicit learning, and individual differences in language learning. Rod Ellis is distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Auckland (New Zealand) and Curtin University (Australia), Senior Professor at Anaheim University (USA), Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand and one of the most highly cited scholars in applied linguistics with a citation count of 152,668 on Google Scholar at the time of interview. 💡
Topics & Questions Discussed
What is Task-Based Language Teaching, and how has it been applied worldwide?
How different is TBLT and other approaches such as content-based and project-based approaches
What is a task?
Do Natural Order, Monitor Theory, Universal Grammar have anything to do with TBLT?
How do we design a task-based training program for languages without a written script?
Is TBLT alone sufficient for language acquisition?
What role can AI play in language learning and task performance?
What aspects of human communication are still missing in chatbots and AI systems?
Is it possible to acquire a language using only AI or computer-generated interaction?
How can we work with AI now that it’s here to stay?

In this live session, Linh Phung and Nikolas Wolfe introduce the latest developments for Eduling, including the expansion of their mobile application into a web-based platform (app.eduling.ai) and the addition of multi-language support spanning 144 target language varieties. The discussion focuses on the intersection of task-based language teaching (TBLT) and speech technology.
 
Nik explains the engineering behind low-latency bidirectional streaming, automatic speech recognition (ASR), and text-to-speech (TTS) integration. They demonstrate live interactive tasks in languages such as Spanish, Vietnamese, Twi, Frafra, and Ga, critically examining the current capabilities and limitations of large language models when handling low-resource, less commonly taught languages (LCTLs).
 
Topics covered
Introduction and Web App Launch
Expanding to Multi-Language Support
Technical Architecture of Spoken Language Interaction
Vietnamese Task Demo
Spanish Task Demo and TBLT Pedagogy
Integrating Less Commonly Taught Languages (LCTLs)
Live Demonstrations in Twi and Ga
Testing Low-Resource Challenges in Frafra
Future Collaboration and Conclusion
 
Eduling website: https://eduling.ai
Web app: https://app.eduling.ai
Email: info@eduling.org

In this episode of the Language Innovators podcast featuring Dr. Soroush Sabbaghan from the University of Calgary, the speakers discuss integrating Generative AI with Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) principles to enhance second language acquisition. The speakers agree that while AI can provide efficient information and targeted practice, it often lacks the paralinguistic features and communicative pressure found in human interaction.
 
The conversation also highlights leveraging AI's unique capabilities such as “infinite patience” and feedback to foster metacognitive awareness and learner agency. Dr. Soroush Sabbaghan is an Associate Professor at the University of Calgary’s Werklund School of Education and the inaugural GenAI Educational Leader in Residence at the Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning. He researches, teaches and speaks on generative AI in education.
 
Soroush also has a new book out on ‘Navigating Generative AI in Higher Education,’ available on his website at https://soroushsabbaghan.com/book/
 
More information about Eduling
Eduling website: https://eduling.ai

In the Language Innovators podcast episode titled "Designing Innovative Learning Experiences in the Digital Wilds," hosts Dr. Linh Phung and Nikolas Wolfe interview Dr. Greg Kessler, a professor of innovative learning design and technology at Ohio University. The conversation explores the concept of the "digital wilds," autonomous online spaces like social media and gaming where authentic communication occurs. Dr. Kessler warns against "taming" these vibrant environments in traditional classrooms, which strips away learner motivation. The speakers also critically evaluate the exploitation of user data, the historical failures of EdTech rollouts, and the vital role of teacher preparation in fostering lifelong learner autonomy.
 
Greg's profile: https://www.ohio.edu/experts/expert/greg-kessler
 
Highlights:
Introduction and background: Greg's experience training teachers in 59 countries
Unpacking the digital wilds and innovative learning designs
Colonization, rewilding, and domestication of the internet
Search engines, gatekeeping, and data and labor extraction
The EdTech backlash and "UI smokescreens"
Immersive worlds: VR, AR, and AI
Teacher preparation and learner autonomy
The CALICO 2026 conference: https://calico.org/calico-2026/
 
Book recommendations
Our Next Reality: How the AI-Powered Metaverse Will Reshape the World by Alvin Graylin and Louis Rosenberg, which explores the convergence of VR and AI.
Who Owns the Future? by Jaron Lainer, which criticizes closed tech monopolies.
Co-Intelligence by Ethan Mollick, which explores working and learning with AI as a partner.
 
More about Eduling: https://eduling.ai

 
Host: Dr. Linh Phung, CEO and Co-Founder of Eduling
Guest: Dr. Luciana de Oliveira, Tenured Professor of Teaching and Learning at Virginia Commonwealth University
 
Short Description
In this comprehensive episode of the Language Innovators podcast, host Dr. Linh Phung interviews renowned TESOL expert, author, and researcher Dr. Luciana de Oliveira to explore the evolving landscape of multilingual education both within the United States and across global contexts. The conversation explores the systemic functional linguistics (SFL)-informed functional approach to language development, unpacking how educators can move past outdated instructional practices, such as traditional vocabulary pre-teaching and the five-paragraph essay format, to embrace language as an asset-driven, meaning-making resource.
 
Dr. de Oliveira breaks down her LACI (Language-Based Approach to Content Instruction) framework and its Six Cs of support, offering materials producers, technology developers, and classroom teachers actionable insights into interactional scaffolding, curriculum amplification over simplification, and the emerging role of Generative AI in creating mentor texts.
 
Highlights
1. The Historical and Contemporary Evolution of Multilingual Education
2. Demystifying the Functional Approach and Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL)
3. Deconstructing Outdated Practices: Vocabulary Pre-Teaching and the Five-Paragraph Essay
4. The LACI Framework: The Six Cs of Content Scaffolding
5. Interactional Scaffolding vs. Static Scaffolding
6. Amplification over Simplification: Debating Comprehensible Input
7. Implications for Educational Technology and Generative AI
 
More about Dr. Luciana Oliveira: https://soe.vcu.edu/about-us/directory/full-directory/luciana-c-de-oliveira-phd.html
 
More about Eduling: https://eduling.ai
Eduling app: https://app.eduling.ai 

Featuring Dr. Deborah Healey, 2019-2020 President of TESOL International Association, this episode offers a deep discussion of the benefits and costs of Generative AI in language education and society. Hosted by Dr. Linh Phung (CEO of Eduling) and Nik Wolfe (CTO of Eduling), the conversation covers the immediate practical benefits for teachers; the systemic challenges regarding the changed nature of teaching and learning, privacy, and environmental costs; and the philosophical shifts required to maintain the "human element" in the classroom.
 
The episode serves as a nuanced discussion of the AI era in education. It encourages teachers to be "transparent" (sharing when they use AI if they expect students to do the same) and to remain curious but critical. As Dr. Healey notes, the goal is to "keep it human" while navigating a landscape where the tools are powerful, the costs are high, and the potential for both innovation and harm is unprecedented.
 
Highlights
1. The "Sanity Saver": AI as an Efficiency Tool
2. Pedagogical Reconstruction and the Death of the "Internet Research" Assignment
3. The Ethical Minefield: Environment and Privacy
4. The "Glazing" Effect and Bot Empathy
5. Technical Realities: Next Token Prediction and Hallucinations
6. The Future of Language Teaching
 
More information about Eduling: https://eduling.ai 
Eduling app: https://app.eduling.ai 
 
See a summary and highlights here: https://www.eduling.ai/post/ai-in-education-and-society-sanity-saver-high-costs-and-seismic-change