When a student turned in a paragraph that was clearly written by an A.I., I shoveled the paragraph into my own A.I. and asked it to give her feedback. Then I printed both and gave the paper back to her. “Now wasn’t that easy?” I said.  She looked uncomfortable. It was an awkward conversation, but it was also a moment that illustrates the temptations and dangers of A.I. in education.

Awkward is good though because it’s human. We all recognize it when we see it. We’ll come back to it in a moment.  

A.I. can only be a crutch insofar as teachers’ expectations follow classic norms for structure, syntax, grammar and punctuation. It is often hard to tell the difference between a “model” essay from a course book and an essay composed by an AI. The machine has fed on so many Internet examples of the five-paragraph essay in different guises that  A.I. versions are hard to dispute.

Maybe by embracing imperfection, valuing it, and focusing on the message not the structure, we can create an environment that values originality. Real learner English is messy, organic and creative. We’ve always known this. For decades we’ve talked about communicative competence, but now it takes on even greater urgency.

Many years ago, Earl Stevick wrote about the ideal lesson as balancing control and initiative. We can strive to develop assignments that foster practice of language students already or mostly know but not perfectly. When it goes well, they start talking or writing at length. Then we can get out of the way and observe. From that wonderfully imperfect output, we can notice their success and make notes for later.

Here’s an example of how a scene from a graded novel inspired an activity that led to a practice that created imperfect but real communication and a sense of accomplishment:

In the A2 novel I’m currently working with, Eli’s Coming, there is an awkward moment when a kitchen worker makes himself a forbidden espresso and gets caught. It seemed a great jumping off point for a speaking activity about awkward situations.

First I clarified the meaning of awkward with the example from the book and a few concept checks.

Awkward or not awkward?

• You invited someone to lunch. Then you realized you forgot your wallet.
• My friend has spinach in her teeth, but she doesn’t know it. She is working with our group. Maybe I need to tell her.
• You cancelled a date because you were sick.

We also practiced saying awkward in different ways. It is often accompanied with a grimace, so it was fun to “perform.”

Once the concept was clear, we did controlled practice. I cut a new list of awkward/not awkward scenarios into slips and gave one to each student. (List below) Then students lined up in two rows facing each other for pair work.  As read their scenario, being careful with pronunciation, and Bs responded with awkward or not awkward. Note that Bs had to understand to make the judgement call. Then they switched, so Bs could read theirs. After both had a turn, one row moved a step to the right to practice with a new partner. The activity continued for several turns.

After the controlled practice, students sat down in groups and told stories about awkward situations they had experienced, many of them similar to the ones on the slips. Walking around and listening, I was able to take notes on their language use. Of course it was imperfect. They were focused on communication. Then they wrote one of their scenarios, and that was imperfect too. The important thing was that I understood the stories. They were funny and embarrassing, and most of all, they were real.

List of awkward/not awkward scenarios

1. You told someone you hated pizza. Then you found out they worked in a pizza restaurant.
2. You called in sick. Then your coworker saw you at a concert.
3. You told your mother you had to study, but she saw a picture of you at a party on Facebook.
4. You went to the library, and you saw an old friend from elementary school.
5. You wrote a letter to your manager and complained about the air conditioning, but your manager did not fix it.
6. You opened the bathroom door, and someone was inside.
7. You looked down and noticed your socks didn’t match.
8. You picked up someone else’s book by mistake.
9. You forgot to change the oil in your car.
10. You tried to drink from a glass of ice water, and it spilled all over your clothes.
11. You went to work with your uniform inside out.
12. You returned a pair of shoes and ended up buying two more pairs.
13. You dropped your keys. The person behind you picked them up and returned them to you.
14. You saw your ex when you were on a date with a new romance.
15. You looked in a mirror after a meeting, and you saw spinach in your teeth.
16. You cut off another driver in traffic. Then you realized it was your neighbor.
17. You planted a tree in your yard. It died after a few months.
18. You tripped at the bus stop and spilled your coffee on a stranger.
19. You wore your best dress to a party, but the other guests dressed in T shirts and jeans.
20.  You met a friend for dinner. When the check came, she paid the bill.