Gerardo Valazza

Gerardo Valazza is a freelance teacher and teacher trainer with extensive experience in English language teaching and learning. He holds a Master’s in Education from the University of Manchester and Cambridge RSA Diploma in Teaching English as a Foreign Language to Adults. His key interest lies in teacher education initiatives that drive meaningful improvements in student learning.

Rewriting the Roles: Teaching and Learning in the GenAI Era 

In the age of AI, educators often insist on the importance of “keeping the human in the loop”—but what does this really mean? What are the implications of AI-enhanced classrooms for the role of the teacher? And how should we rethink the learner’s role? As GenAI reshapes language learning, it introduces new possibilities—and new demands. This interactive session invites you to reflect, experiment, and reimagine the evolving responsibilities of teachers and learners in one of the most exciting moments in the history of education.

This session aims to: • Explore how Generative AI is reshaping the roles of teachers and learners in language education. • Reflect on the meaning of “keeping the human in the loop” in AI-enhanced classrooms. • Introduce practical strategies for fostering learner autonomy through meaningful interaction with AI tools. • Equip teachers with ideas to integrate GenAI into their practice in thoughtful and pedagogically sound ways. As Generative AI tools become increasingly present in education, the roles of teachers and learners are being redefined in ways we are only beginning to understand. Much has been said about the need to “keep the human in the loop,” but how can we do that meaningfully in the language classroom? What does human expertise look like when AI can generate content, correct grammar, and provide feedback in seconds? And how do we support learners in becoming autonomous, critical users of these tools—rather than passive consumers? In this interactive session, we’ll explore the evolving responsibilities of both teachers and learners in the GenAI era. We’ll reflect on current practices, question assumptions, and experiment with practical strategies to help students use AI as a tool for learning with intention. Together, we’ll consider how teachers can model effective AI use, scaffold learner autonomy, and maintain the relational and reflective dimensions of language education. The session will offer both conceptual provocations and hands-on ideas to take back to the classroom, empowering participants to navigate—and shape—the AI-enhanced classroom with purpose, creativity, and confidence.