Introduction

Five years ago, General Secretary Xi Jinping wrote a heartfelt letter to an elderly professor at Beijing Foreign Studies University, expressing hopes for foreign language institutions to deepen international exchanges, enhance friendship among nations, and promote the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind. He emphasized the need to cultivate versatile talents with a sense of national pride, global vision, and professional skills. This letter has provided ideological inspiration and direction for the reform and development of foreign language education in the new era.

The Persistence and Transformation of Foreign Language Disciplines in the AI Era

Artificial intelligence is profoundly changing the ecology of language education, services, and research. Breakthroughs in generative AI have made applications like machine translation, intelligent writing, and voice interaction increasingly common. In light of this transformation, some voices claim that the value of foreign language disciplines is diminished by technology, leading to the notion that foreign languages are becoming obsolete.

However, this perspective misunderstands the essence of foreign language studies. The core of foreign language and literature is not limited to the training of skills like listening, speaking, reading, writing, and translating. It encompasses five key areas: language studies, literature studies, translation studies, comparative literature and cross-cultural studies, and area studies. Language is the starting point, but not the endpoint. Through language, we explore the mysteries of human thought, the intricacies of literature and art, the wisdom of different civilizations, and the shifts in global dynamics.

As Einstein warned, “The primary goal of all technical effort should always be the concern for humanity itself.” This statement reveals the humanistic dimension of technological development. If technology is the “engine,” then the humanities are the “steering wheel”—only through the lens of humanistic spirit can we ensure that technology truly benefits humanity. When machines can accurately translate phrases, only the human heart can perceive the warmth behind the language; when algorithms can quickly generate text, only human value judgments can safeguard the underlying positions of discourse. Foreign language institutions must proactively adapt, seeking change in the unity of technological empowerment and humanistic commitment, exploring new paradigms for talent cultivation. This paradigm shift is not a denial of traditional foreign language disciplines but an intelligent expansion of their connotations in the AI era.

The Profound Connotation of Versatile Talents in the AI Era

In the age of AI, the standards for versatile talents—those with a sense of national pride, global vision, and professional skills—carry deeper meanings. The more powerful technology becomes, the deeper the wisdom required to harness it.

A sense of national pride requires foreign language talents to elevate from “cultural communicators” to “value leaders,” possessing keen judgment in international exchanges to discern the positions and intentions behind AI-generated information while upholding Chinese cultural stances and effectively telling China’s story. This necessitates transforming the values of excellent traditional Chinese culture into a communicable and dialogical discourse system within language studies, translation studies, comparative literature, and cross-cultural studies.

Global vision requires a shift from merely “understanding the world” to “comprehending the world.” While AI breaks down information barriers, it also brings about “information cocoons” and “algorithmic biases.” True global vision is not just about mastering several foreign languages or knowing a few countries; it involves penetrating the algorithmic fog in a complex and diverse information environment to deeply understand the values and thought processes of different civilizations. This requires in-depth support from area studies—not only understanding a country’s language but also its historical context, political logic, and socio-cultural psychology. In a landscape dominated by homogenized information driven by algorithmic recommendations, only talents with deep regional knowledge can maintain independent thinking and provide intellectual support for building a community with a shared future for mankind.

Professional skills require foreign language talents to evolve from mastering “language skills” to possessing a collaborative ability that integrates “language + AI.” In the AI era, the connotation of “professional skills” has undergone a qualitative change. Traditional skills in listening, speaking, reading, writing, and translating remain foundational but no longer constitute the core of competitiveness. True professional skills are an organic unity of “language ability + technical literacy + humanistic foundation.” This demands that foreign language talents not only master language skills and knowledge in linguistics, literature, translation, cross-cultural studies, and area studies but also understand algorithmic logic, utilize AI tools, and handle language data, transforming from traditional language service providers to language intelligence drivers with technical thinking and strategic vision, as well as cross-cultural dialogue facilitators. As Marx stated, “Man affirms himself in the objective world not only through thought but also through all his senses.” In the AI era, the “senses” of foreign language talents need to extend to the perception, mastery, and reflection on technology, establishing their irreplaceable value at the intersection of technology and humanities.

Constructing a New Paradigm for Cultivating “Language + AI” Versatile Talents

To cultivate “language + AI” versatile talents, foreign language institutions need to undergo systematic reforms in educational philosophy, curriculum systems, teaching models, and collaborative mechanisms.

Reshaping Knowledge Systems

Promote interdisciplinary integration through “humanities and technology”. Break down traditional barriers within foreign language disciplines to construct a curriculum matrix driven by dual cores of “language ability + technical literacy.” Language studies require support from computational linguistics, literature studies need the expansion of digital humanities perspectives, translation studies require collaboration with machine translation technology, cross-cultural studies need empowerment from multimodal analysis tools, and area studies need the enhancement of big data mining capabilities. The five major research areas within foreign language disciplines are deeply integrating with AI, forming new academic growth points. Foreign language institutions should proactively layout and promote the intersection of foreign language studies with computer science, data science, and cognitive science to cultivate versatile talents who understand both language and technology. The future of foreign language studies will no longer be a one-way extension of the humanities but a fusion of innovation between humanities and technology.

Transforming Teaching Models

Construct an educational ecology of “human-machine collaboration”. Future foreign language classrooms will transition from a binary structure of “teacher-student” to a ternary structure of “teacher-machine-student.” AI will not replace teachers but empower them. Teachers will shift from knowledge transmitters to learning designers, value guides, and emotional connectors. Through intelligent MOOCs, virtual teachers, and smart assessments, personalized learning and precise teaching will be achieved, allowing technology to truly serve the comprehensive development of individuals. In this process, attention must be paid to the appropriate use of technology, ensuring that it always serves the fundamental task of moral education. Technology can change how we teach but cannot undermine why we teach.

Expanding Capability Boundaries

Establish a collaborative mechanism of “industry-university-research-application”. Talent cultivation cannot be confined to the campus. It should align with national strategic needs, focusing on key areas such as international communication, area studies, and language intelligence, and collaborate with industry enterprises to build practical platforms. Beijing Foreign Studies University, leveraging its virtual digital teacher system (LingTutor) and global language service platform, brings teaching scenarios into both virtual and real spaces, allowing students to enhance their “language + AI” capabilities while solving practical problems. Additionally, strengthening cooperation with AI enterprises will promote the integration of industry and education, providing students with real-world “AI + language” practical scenarios. Only in problem-solving environments can versatile capabilities take root.

In the age of AI, the mission of foreign language education is not diminished but endowed with new connotations. As algorithms reshape knowledge landscapes and intelligence redefines language ecologies, foreign language institutions must stand at the forefront, courageously advancing reforms while steadfastly upholding the humanistic essence, contributing wisdom and strength to the construction of a strong educational nation and a community with a shared future for mankind.