AI Competencies in Higher Education and Foreign Languages

AI Competencies in Higher Education and Foreign Languages

1. Digital Literacy and Citizenship

8. Inclusion and Accessibility through AI

2. Basic Understanding of AI

3. Critical Thinking and Evaluation of AI Content

7. Development of Pronunciation and Fluency with AI

4. Assessment of AI Impact in Teaching and Learning

6. Critical Mastery of Translation Tools and Writing Assistants

5. Strategic Application of AI Tools

Ethics, Inclusion and Responsibility

Susana M. Oliveira Universidade Aberta, 2025

2. Basic Understanding of AI

A basic understanding of AI provides students with a solid foundation built on fundamental concepts and technical terminology, particularly in English, with special attention to the appropriate use of prompts (instructions, questions, or commands addressed to an AI system). By mastering the formulation of prompts, students not only gain a clearer understanding of how AI systems operate, but also develop the ability to adapt their interactions critically, applying them across different academic and professional contexts. At the same time, they remain aware that AI-generated outputs never replace individual reasoning and always require rigorous validation.

UNESCO, Guidance, 2024 (8-13).

1. Digital Literacy and Citizenship

Digital Literacy and Citizenship enable students to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies in a critical, informed and ethical manner, while fostering an understanding of their social and cultural implications. Whereas digital literacy ensures technical mastery and rigorous evaluation of information, digital citizenship reinforces responsibility, security and awareness of AI’s social and cultural impacts. Together, they constitute an integrated competency, aligned with the values of personal, intellectual, and academic integrity (UNESCO 37–38) and with the key areas defined in The Digital Competence Framework for Citizens (European Commission 9–50).

UNESCO, Guidance for Generative AI in Education and Research, 2024.

European Union, The Digital Competence Framework for Citizens, 2022.

8. Inclusion and Accessibility through AI

AI technologies can promote inclusion and accessibility in higher education through tools such as automatic transcription, real-time captioning, text-to-speech, voice synthesis, or text simplification, which help to overcome communication barriers and support students with diverse educational needs (UNESCO 35–36). Recent studies highlight this potential but stress the need to frame AI within equitable pedagogical practices (Ilieva et al. 2024), as the uncritical adoption of AI may reinforce exclusion if real conditions of access are not considered (Zhu et al. 2023). Therefore, this competency prepares students to become aware of the social and ethical dimensions of AI, enabling them to value it as a tool for equity and respect for diversity.

UNESCO, Guidance, 2024.

Ilieva et al. “A Framework for Generative AI-Driven Assessment in Higher Education”, 2024.

Zhu et al., “A Systematic Review of Research on AI in Language Education", 2023.

3. Critical Thinking and Evaluation of AI Content

This competency develops the capacity to critically analyse AI tools and the outputs they generate. It is essential for identifying and interpreting data in a rigorous and well-founded manner. Students are expected to question the accuracy, nuances, and limitations of AI-generated responses or content, acknowledging that these systems may fail, reproduce biases, or produce incomplete information. Maintaining a critical stance enables the development of analytical and reflective thinking when assessing the impact of AI on society and in processes of learning and knowledge acquisition.

UNESCO, Guidance, 2024 (14–16).

7. Development of Pronunciation and Fluency with AI

The use of AI tools for oral practice with automatic feedback is becoming an increasingly common resource in language education, particularly in distance learning contexts. In the case of English teaching and learning, tools such as Natural Reader, Talkpal, or SmallTalk2Me allow students to practise autonomously and to receive immediate feedback on pronunciation, intonation, and rhythm, thus facilitating progress monitoring and self-assessment. Recent studies (Godwin-Jones 2021; Seddik 2024; Zhu et al. 2023) highlight how these technologies enhance individualised and repetitive practice, fostering autonomy and self-confidence. However, they also underline that AI cannot replace pedagogical mediation, given its limitations in capturing the naturalness of communication, expressiveness, and intercultural appropriateness.

Godwin-Jones, “Emerging Technologies: AI and Language Learning", 2021.

Seddik, “The Impact of AI-Powered Language Learning Tools on Second Language Acquisition: A Mixed-Methods Study", 2024.

Zhu et al., “A Systematic Review of Research on AI in Language Education", 2023.

6. Critical Mastery of Translation Tools and Writing Assistants

The use of AI assistants for writing and translation can provide valuable support in language learning contexts, particularly in courses such as Practice of Translation: Foreign Language–Portuguese. This competency enables students to understand both the potential and the limitations of such tools, assessing the adequacy of machine translations and identifying cultural or contextual biases and errors, while maintaining personal critical thinking and the linguistic and conceptual accuracy required in academic contexts. Its development prepares students to integrate AI productively into their academic and professional paths, in line with good practices of writing and citation. As highlighted in UNESCO’s Guidance (13), it is essential to recognise that these systems cannot replace critical thinking or individual responsibility in the processes of reflection, writing, and translation. Recent research in translation pedagogy confirms the importance of AI literacy, since AI-generated translation proposals may appear acceptable at first glance but often fail in terminological accuracy, discursive register, or intercultural coherence. Students must therefore be fully aware of their limitations and ethical implications (Zhang and Doherty 2025).

Zhang and Doherty, “Investigating Novice Translation Students’ AI Literacy in Translation Education", 2025.

5. Strategic Application of AI Tools

The responsible integration of AI tools in higher education promotes autonomy, efficiency, and adaptation to academic demands, ensuring an informed and ethical use of technology. These tools offer multiple possibilities for supporting study, from organising notes to improving written work. Applications such as writing assistants, machine translation, data synthesis and analysis platforms, and personalised feedback systems can contribute both to learning and to research. However, it is essential to understand the limitations and challenges of these technologies, including the risk of distortions, factual errors, or lack of contextualisation. The strategic and critical use of AI in the academic context should involve assessing the reliability of generated responses and their relevance across different domains of knowledge. Note: When using such tools, it is indispensable to maintain a critical stance and to evaluate the quality and trustworthiness of information, thereby ensuring integrity, transparency, and ethics throughout the academic process.

4. Assessment of AI Impact in Teaching and Learning

This competency develops students’ capacity to critically analyse the role of AI in learning and assessment processes. In addition to identifying the benefits and limitations of such tools, it fosters reflection on how AI may influence the definition of learning outcomes and the evaluation of critical thinking and human collaboration. The growing use of AI requires a conscious approach that avoids restricting its applications to the automatisation of tasks or homogenised responses, which risk undermining the development of individual and original critical thinking skills. It is therefore essential to discern when and how to integrate AI ethically, in alignment with the values of honesty, rigour, and responsibility. In this context, it must be recognised that grades obtained without genuine knowledge add no real value to academic or professional life, while in the medium and long term they also undermine social trust in higher education and in the preparation of responsible citizens.

UNESCO, Guidance, 2024 (38-39).