Beyond the Decontextualized Bot: AI Companions in Language Learning

AI & Language Learning Series: Nicole Mills and Arnaud Dressen, “Beyond the Decontextualized Bot: AI Companions in Language Learning.” Click here to register.

Abstract:
This presentation examines the evolution of collaboratively designed XR and AI projects for the teaching of languages and cultures, co-created by Arnaud Dressen (CEO of Wonda) and Nicole Mills. Informed by research in second language acquisition, psychology of language learning, and principles of instructional design, these projects demonstrate how immersive VR environments and carefully developed AI companions have the capacity to “come to life” as more than just decontextualized bots supporting interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational communication (Mills et al, 2025). In response to the Modern Language Association’s 2023 Writing and AI working paper, which urged educators to foster critical AI literacy and emphasize writing as a meaningful, collaborative process, one strand of this collaboration features AI writing companions that extend VR-based narratives into process-oriented writing support. Characters “come to life” as AI thought partners who assist learners with brainstorming, analyzing model texts, curating vocabulary, and revising drafts. This design emphasizes learner autonomy, critical engagement with textual conventions, and writing as a communicative process rather than product. Research findings reveal that students’ perceptions of the AI chatbot—including anthropomorphism, teaching presence, and enjoyment—were closely tied to their self-reported writing self-efficacy, anxiety, and self-regulation (Mills et al, 2025). A second strand extends these VR characters into AI companions for oral rehearsal, enabling students to simulate conversations before engaging with real conversation partners. In these practice sessions, learners practice interpersonal skills such as initiating dialogue, sustaining interaction, and negotiating meaning while receiving immediate feedback on comprehensibility, conversational strategies, and beyond. This task aims to provide a low-stakes environment that builds confidence and communicative readiness for authentic exchanges with native speakers. The session will conclude with a hands-on component, allowing participants to engage in interactions with AI companions on the Wonda platform.

Nicole Mills is the Joint Director of Language Programs in the Department of Romance Languages & Literatures and lecturer in the Graduate School of Education at Harvard University. She holds a Ph.D. in Educational Studies and French from Emory University. She teaches courses in French, language pedagogy, and technology enhanced language learning and serves as the advisor for Harvard’s Certificate in Teaching Languages and Cultures. Her research interests are associated with the psychology of language learning and their intersection with virtual and simulated environments in language learning, with a particular focus on artificial intelligence and virtual reality applications. Her book Perspectives on Teaching Language and Content (co-authored with Stacey Katz Bourns and Cheryl Krueger) was published in 2020 with Yale University Press and she has various publications in the Modern Language Journal, the Foreign Language Annals, Language Learning, the CALICO journal, the International Journal of Applied Linguistics and in various edited volumes. In addition to scholarly publications, her work has been featured in the Harvard Magazine, the Educause Review, ChatGPT for Education Substack, Harvard Gazette, Silver Linings podcast, and an upcoming article in the Chronicle for Higher Education.

Links to publications and presentations: https://works.bepress.com/nicole_mills/

Arnaud Dressen is the CEO and founder of Wonda, a cutting-edge web platform focused on immersive learning. Driven by a passion for using technology to enhance human creativity and foster collaboration, Arnaud has spent more than two decades at the forefront of media and education. His previous achievements include the creation of one of the first community-driven investigative journalism platforms, supported by the United Nations and the Ford Foundation, and pioneering innovative interactive documentaries featured at SXSW and the Cannes Film Festival. Arnaud's recent endeavors with Wonda have been focused on providing educators with innovative tools to facilitate the teaching and learning of vital 21st-century skills by leveraging the power of spatial computing and generative AI. His work, in collaboration with leading universities and creative studios, has earned Wonda recognition as one of the top 8 XR education startups by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.