By: Dr. Aline Xavier de Araujo.
In language education, students engage more deeply when they see their identities and experiences reflected in the learning process. Yet many traditional language-learning materials remain disconnected from students’ lived experiences, making it difficult for learners to see the personal relevance of the content. At Hampton University, I used MyConversationTrainer (MCT) to design activities that connect with students’ backgrounds and interests, encouraging realistic language practice beyond the classroom.
Context
At first, I created prompts that mirrored real-life situations, such as interviewing a roommate or applying for an internship abroad. However, I found that students were most engaged in activities related to their own contexts, where they could share personal experiences and opinions. At times, hypothetical professional situations would align with their interests, but participation often increased when the topics involved their lives as young adults or their experience at a historically Black college/university.
Task-based workflow
In these extra-credit activities, available to all levels of Spanish, I developed task-based exercises using MCT to instill confidence in learners. In task-based language teaching, students learn through meaningful tasks with clear instructions and a focus on communication instead of accuracy—that is, when language is used to solve problems, not just practice forms. MCT became the “pre-task rehearsal space” that prepared students for the main task. First, they engaged with prompts I created with MCT, in a low-stakes environment where they could build confidence, make mistakes, and practice the necessary structures and vocabulary before speaking with each other. Afterwards, they worked in pairs to complete the task. Below are a few examples that range from imaginary scenarios to possible real-life encounters.
- In “El agente secreto” (“The Secret Agent”), students used MCT to interact with an AI secretary and construct fictional identities, practicing self-description and question formation in Spanish. After rehearsing the necessary structures in a low-pressure setting, students applied those skills in peer interactions as they attempted to discover other undercover agents’ identities. This progression from AI practice to live communication helped students approach spontaneous conversation with greater confidence.
- In “El Día de Secundaria” (“High School Day”), students participated in a scenario inspired by Hampton University’s event of the same name. In the first part of the activity, students practiced formal speech using the usted form while speaking with the parent of a prospective student. After, they shifted to a more informal tone to give practical advice for incoming students, adapting their language to different audiences while connecting through familiar campus experiences.
Key findings
The most effective tasks were often based on shared social experiences rather than traditional textbook conversations. In “El chisme” (“The Gossip”), participants first created a fictional story (the “gossip”) that took place during Homecoming (an important event at Hampton University). Later, using MCT, they spoke in Spanish with another student who wanted to know everything that happened. Prompts like this gave learners the opportunity to practice Spanish in a more organic manner, increasing both participation and confidence.
Besides offering space for errors with constructive feedback, MCT worked as a bridge between controlled practice and real conversation. Language learners can sometimes grasp concepts well in the target language, yet still struggle to produce spontaneous output; MyConversationTrainer (MCT) can allow for this transition from concept to output to happen more smoothly. In addition, students are more willing to speak when mistakes feel safe and when they can focus on communicating their ideas rather than on conjugating or pronouncing appropriately. Although accuracy is important, the purpose of these task-based activities is to produce spontaneous speech so that later, in the classroom, students can focus on form.
Author Bio
Dr. Aline Xavier de Araujo is the director of global languages at Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia. Her research focuses on site-specific Latin theater, as well as on performance as a tool for second language acquisition. She promotes the use of MyConversationTrainer as a supplemental language-learning resource for students enrolled in Spanish courses at Hampton University.
