Tag: language

Vocation in the World Language Classroom

As our campuses and communities become increasingly multilingual, we ought to lift up the language classroom as a privileged space for vocational reflection where our responsibilities to the world, to each other, and to ourselves might crosspollinate in ways that honor our callings as much as they shape the future of language instruction.

Paris, La Défense viewed from Fondation Louis Vuitton
Photo by the author

The language classroom provides ample occasion to cultivate vocational reflection. As a lifelong learner and educator with over 15 years of experience teaching French, I can attest to the ways in which language acquisition is inextricable from learning about ourselves, crafting our stories, connecting with others, and discerning how to live an intentional life. Take the example of a beginning language program, in which courses are commonly structured around topics of everyday relevance such as friends and family, education and professions, pastimes, and holidays and traditions. Self-reflection and self-authorship are embedded in the program because learning a language is, in effect, learning to live, communicate, and move in the world in and through this language.

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The Language of Vocation in the Age of AI

By integrating AI-related language and concepts into our curriculum, fostering critical thinking about the ethical implications of AI, and encouraging students to embrace lifelong learning, we prepare them to navigate the evolving landscape of work and calling with confidence and resilience.

In the rapidly changing landscape of artificial intelligence (AI), our understanding of vocation and career is undergoing significant transformation. In my role as a linguistics professor, I’ve been closely observing how the discussion on AI is reshaping the very language we use to navigate work and calling.

A recent article in Forbes, “How AI is Changing the Future of Work,” explores the dual impact of AI on the workforce: automation is causing job displacement in some sectors, while simultaneously creating new opportunities in AI development and support.

My engagement in leading university-wide discussions on the influence of AI on education, as well as facilitating conversations about AI in a freshman-level course on vocation, has allowed me to delve deep into this topic. This awareness allows me to guide students and educators through the many implications and burgeoning opportunities arising from this new frontier.

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“Appreciative Knowledge”: Another Model for Interfaith Vocational Exploration

I read Daniel Meyers’ “Interfaith Vocational Exploration: Proceed with Caution” with interest. I appreciate his recognition that the word and concept of vocation, at least as narrowly construed, comes from a particular and, at least in Western societies, privileged position. As he notes, this implies concomitant need to “proceed with caution,” because other faiths are by necessity having to “translate” and respond to Christianity’s terms, ideas, and paradigms. As a Buddhist at a Lutheran college, I have sometimes had concerns about question-and-answer periods when Buddhist speakers were called on to respond to questions about parallels (or lack thereof) to Christian concepts. I often felt that the short answer demanded in such circumstances distorted ideas about my religious tradition, or missed the main points about my faith. Like Meyers, I think the literature on interfaith dialogue can be a helpful resource in thinking and talking about interfaith vocational exploration. However, I would like to propose a different model.

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