Beyond the app: Teaching young learners to become independent language learners in the AI era

Beyond the app: Teaching young learners to become independent language learners in the AI era AI is transforming how children learn languages, but access to smarter tools does not automatically create smarter or more independent learners. In this session, I want to explore how teachers can move beyond simply using AI apps and instead develop learner autonomy, critical thinking, metacognition, and responsible AI literacy. Drawing on practical classroom experience and current language-learning practices. I will present strategies that encourage young learners to question, reflect, self-correct, and take greater ownership of their progress. Speaker: Mike Llerena Mike is a multilingual language educator, teacher trainer, IELTS and TOEFL coach, and host of the Languages Pedagogy Podcast. With nearly two decades of international teaching experience, he works across English, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, and Chinese exploring innovative pedagogy, AI-enhanced learning, learner autonomy, and the future of language education.