Abstract
Is the rapid advancement of ICT and AI improving young people’s communication skills, or is it having the opposite effect? When this question is posed to corporate HR managers, many express concern. They often observe that young employees’ interpersonal skills are weakening as everyday communication becomes mediated by technology. Just as unused physical functions decline over time, underused social and communicative abilities may also deteriorate. With the adoption of AI, this trend may accelerate. AI is a powerful tool, but also a double-edged sword.
Real growth requires real practice. Just as effective physical training requires proper guidance and effort, meaningful learning requires experiences that challenge students. Education must therefore help them move beyond their virtual comfort zones and engage in situations where communication, collaboration, and human judgement are actively exercised.
This session explores how educators can help the AI generation rediscover the value of authentic human interaction. Intercultural mobility programmes provide learning environments by placing students in real social and cultural contexts that require presence, empathy, negotiation, critical thinking, and adaptability. Experts from Japan and Malaysia will share approaches to designing mobility experiences that use AI supportively while ensuring that genuine interaction remains central to developing communication and intercultural competence.
Learning objectives
- Examine case studies of mobility programmes involving Japanese, Malaysian, and other ASEAN students, and identify approaches that effectively strengthen intercultural competence through authentic cross-cultural engagement.
- Evaluate the benefits and limitations of using AI in educational and mobility activities, while identifying practical dos and don’ts for its responsible and balanced application.
- Explore ESL teaching approaches that develop logical thinking, critical thinking, interpersonal communication, and linguistic and behavioural competence as essential foundations for preparing industry-ready graduates.
- Generate ideas for collaborative mobility programmes that encourage AI-generation students to move beyond their virtual comfort zones and participate in meaningful real-world interactions.
- Build connections with other APAIE participants to support further partnerships and mobility initiatives that promote effective English communication and cultural skills.
Target audience
- Language instructors and international office staff interested in English learning through mobility programmes.
- Mobility programme coordinators seeking new international partners and collaboration opportunities.
