Global Scholars Gather at HKUST to Explore Chinese Language Education in the AI Era

The Conference on Technology-Enhanced Chinese Language Education (TechCLE 2026), hosted by the Center for Language Education (CLE) under the School of Humanities and Social Science (SHSS), The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), co-organised by the Chinese Language Society of Hong Kong, and supported by the Hong Kong Language Studies Centre, was held on June 17 at HKUST’s Clear Water Bay campus. 

Marking the 30th anniversary of the introduction of the National Putonghua Shuiping Ceshi (PSC) Test in Hong Kong, the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the HKUST Putonghua Training and Testing Centre, and the 35th anniversary of HKUST, the conference brought together more than one hundred experts, scholars, educators, and students from Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and overseas countries such as Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and Vietnam. Participants explored the application of artificial intelligence (AI), big data, speech technology, and virtual learning environments in Chinese language teaching and assessment. 

 Professor Nora HUSSIN, Interim Director of the CLE at HKUST, delivered the welcome address. She remarked that the present moment is “full of possibilities, yet also full of uncertainties.” The rapid development of AI tools, she noted, may be outpacing curriculum design and assessment practices—and may even be advancing faster than our understanding of what “Chinese” itself means. Echoing the conference’s central theme of Human–AI Orchestration, she emphasised: “The more AI is capable of doing, the more we must ask ourselves what it truly means to communicate in a human way.” 

 Although Mr Yunfeng YU, Director of the Centre for Language Education and Cooperation under China’s Ministry of Education, was unable to attend in person, he delivered a recorded video address. He noted that global interest in learning Chinese continues to grow, with ninety countries having incorporated Chinese into their national education systems. Traditional teaching models, he observed, are facing unprecedented pressure in meeting learners’ individualised needs, and AI is providing effective solutions to this challenge. He highlighted the official launch in May 2026 of the “iChinese” intelligent integrated learning community, which has already attracted participation from more than 100 institutions. He also called on global partners to work together to build an intelligent learning ecosystem that enables “real-time learning and accessible learning for all.” 

  Professor Kai-Lung HUI, Associate Provost (Academic Development) at HKUST, then delivered his remarks. Drawing on his own experience as an HKUST undergraduate in the 1990s, he shared how the Business School launched a bilingual Chinese–English Executive MBA program more than two decades ago, illustrating the vital role of language education in university talent development. Professor HUI emphasised in particular that “technology does not replace the core values of language education; rather, it supports and extends them.” He further noted that “Chinese language education is not merely about mastering grammar, but more importantly about cultivating ways of thinking and sustaining cultural heritage,” expressing the hope of achieving a balance between innovation and tradition. 

The four keynote speeches approached the theme from multiple perspectives—including empirical research in second language acquisition, applications of large language models, the restructuring of research paradigms under AI integration, and foundational disciplinary development. Together, they delineated the theoretical boundaries of Chinese language education in the AI era, converging on the central proposition of a human-centred approach and human–AI collaboration.

    
Professor Boping YUAN, Fellow of Churchill College, University of Cambridge, and Distinguished Professor of Linguistics at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, presented empirical findings revealing a phenomenon of “hearing without perceiving” among native English and Korean speakers in the oral production of elliptical sentences in Chinese as a second language. Based on this research, he emphasised: “As we embrace AI, we must remain clear-headed,” noting that such systems “can only perceive surface structures… they cannot see or hear the underlying structures.” Human intelligence, he concluded, remains indispensable.

  Professor Chu-Ren HUANG, Chair Professor of the Department of Language Science and Technology at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, began by re-examining large language models, noting that their learning mechanisms are in some ways similar to those of humans: “They simply read faster and more extensively than we do.” He encouraged scholars in the humanities “not to be afraid,” emphasising that human value lies in “doing what AI cannot do, rather than competing in areas where it already excels.” Drawing on The Cambridge Student Grammar, which he co-authored with collaborators, Professor HUANG demonstrated how features such as hyperlinks and fixed role settings can be incorporated into instructional design to respond to the learning habits of contemporary students. 

 Professor Yang ZHAO, Boya Distinguished Professor at Peking University and Dean of the School of Chinese as a Second Language Education, situated his remarks within the historical trajectory of the parallel development of foreign language education and technology. He systematically proposed new research agendas for second language acquisition of Chinese under conditions of AI integration, including big data–driven error analysis, the cultivation of pragmatic competence through immersive AI-generated scenarios, and the modelling of developmental trajectories based on process-oriented data. He emphasised that “technology should be used as a tool, not something that constrains us,” and stressed that AI can only play a supporting role, “ultimately, judgment must rest with experts and teachers.” 

 Professor Sze-Wing TANG of the Department of Chinese Language and Literature at The Chinese University of Hong Kong returned to the foundations of disciplinary development. In response to the strategic context in which “International Chinese Language Education” has been incorporated into the Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Standard Spoken and Written Chinese Language, he proposed a bottom-up approach to terminology standardisation guided by the principles of being “data-driven, operational, and sustainable.” He also looked ahead to the potential of using AI to assist in terminology definition and to facilitate alignment with ISO international standards.  

   In the afternoon, the conference featured two parallel blocks of sessions held concurrently across eight venues, presenting a total of seventy-three papers. The eight thematic areas covered: Chinese as a second language learning and learner engagement; AI-empowered Chinese writing instruction and assessment; digital Chinese language teaching and curriculum design; Putonghua and phonetic education; Cantonese and Chinese language learning and cultural interaction; Chinese linguistics, grammar, and discourse studies; literature, culture, and classical Chinese education; and teacher education, AI, and digital literacy.

Scholars and educators from universities and research institutions around the world presented empirical studies, pedagogical practices, and theoretical explorations, reaching several thought-provoking mutual observations. First, generative AI has demonstrated significant effectiveness in areas such as curriculum design, writing support, speech training, and assessment feedback; however, learning outcomes remain highly dependent on teachers’ professional guidance. Second, while learners skilfully use AI to generate ideas, they often neglect logical coherence and fact-checking, making the cultivation of “Critical AI Literacy” increasingly urgent. Third, although AI has achieved considerable proficiency in surface-level linguistic analysis, it still exhibits clear limitations in cultural interpretation, emotional support, and value guidance. Only with teachers overseeing content selection and instructional design can AI’s supportive value be fully realised.

 The conference concluded with a roundtable forum titled “Human–AI Orchestration: New Paradigms and Ecosystems for Chinese Language Education.” The panel featured Professor Emeritus Chih-p'ing CHOU of the Department of East Asian Studies at Princeton University, Professor Emeritus Yutaka FURUKAWA of the Graduate School of Language and Culture at Osaka University, Research Professor Shui Duen CHAN of the Department of Language Science and Technology at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and Professor Emeritus Chung Mou SI of the University of Hong Kong, who also serves as Adjunct Professor at the Education University of Hong Kong. 

Drawing on their respective academic backgrounds and teaching experiences, the four scholars offered diverse perspectives marked by both dialogue and constructive tension. Professor Chih-p'ing CHOU advocated a return to the fundamentals of language teaching, emphasising that “despite changing forms, the essence remains the same.” Accuracy in pronunciation and grammar, he argued, continues to be the core objective that all new methods and technologies should serve, and linguistic competence should be distinguished from the ability to use technological tools. Professor Yutaka FURUKAWA approached the issue from the perspective of educating the whole person, asserting that AI’s primary role is as a teaching support tool. “The essence of education lies in teaching and nurturing individuals,” he stated, adding that teachers must remain the leading force in international Chinese language education. He cautioned that the real crisis would arise if humans were to lose their capacity for judgment. Professor Shui Duen CHAN emphasised that AI is already capable of handling substantial administrative and content-generation tasks in teaching. As such, teachers should shift from being “transmitters of knowledge” to “designers of learning” and “guides of informed judgment.” In her view, “the real crisis does not lie in what AI can do, but in whether human educators can promptly adjust their role positioning and competency structures.” Professor Chung Mou SI focused on local practice, analysing structural challenges in Putonghua teaching in Hong Kong. He suggested that tertiary-level Putonghua courses should integrate AI and align with different professional fields, moving toward greater specialisation.

In the subsequent open discussion session, participants engaged the panellists in in-depth exchanges on topics including the boundaries of human subjectivity, the evaluation of AI’s capabilities, pronunciation standards for Chinese language teachers, and accent variation in a globalised context. The atmosphere was lively and intellectually engaging.

In addition to the eight keynote speakers and roundtable panellists, representatives from the co-organising and supporting institutions—The Chinese Language Society of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Language Studies Centre —also attended the conference. 

 Professor YinghuaZHONG, President of the International Society for Chinese Language Teaching, delivered the closing keynote address via video. He observed that digital technologies have now fully entered the field of Chinese language education, but emphasised the need for sober reflection: “Machine-generated content can be mass-produced, and standardised responses can be repeatedly applied. However, the intellectual depth, emotional warmth, cultural resonance, and aesthetic qualities embodied in language—as well as learners’ independent critical thinking, vibrant humanistic expression, and flexible cross-cultural communication abilities—are qualities that AI can never replace.” He called on academia to conduct empirical research grounded in cutting-edge technologies, enabling technology to address specific teaching challenges with precision, and to use language as a bridge to deepen humanistic exchange among Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and the wider global community. 

 Professor Nora HUSSIN, Interim Director of the CLE at HKUST, presided over the closing ceremony and delivered the conference summary. She revisited the central question raised at the opening session—at a time when AI is capable of generating large volumes of spoken and written content, what does “genuine communication” truly mean? She noted that although the presentations throughout the conference approached the issue from diverse perspectives, they converged on similar conclusions: AI is fast, articulate, and tireless, yet it cannot replace the human judgment, critical thinking, discernment, and educational care that lie at the heart of language education. She emphasised that the core issue repeatedly examined during the conference was not whether AI will enter Chinese language education, but rather who will lead its use and how. The answer offered by nearly every speaker was clear: not machines, not technology—but ourselves.  

  The TechCLE conference showcased CLE’s longstanding commitments and efforts in Chinese language education and Putonghua training and testing, and provided a cross-regional and interdisciplinary platform for exchange within the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area and the global Chinese language education community. CLE will continue to promote research and practice in language education that balances technology and humanistic values, advancing innovation and international collaboration in Chinese language education.