Christina Rapti

1. Your research explores the potential of Artificial Intelligence in supporting students with dyslexia in EFL classrooms. What inspired you to investigate this particular intersection between AI, inclusion, and foreign language education?
My interest in this area stems from both my teaching experience and my academic research. I am currently in the final stages of my PhD, which focuses on Differentiated Instruction, the Flipped Classroom approach, and the integration of AI-supported tools in EFL education. Working with mixed-ability classes has made me increasingly interested in how technology can respond to individual learning differences. At the same time, the use of AI to support students with learning difficulties or special educational needs remains relatively underexplored, particularly within Greek public education and, even more specifically, in the EFL context. This gap encouraged me to look more closely at students with dyslexia and to explore how AI might help remove barriers and create more accessible, inclusive, and responsive foreign language learning environments.

2. Mixed-ability classrooms present significant challenges for language teachers. How do you think AI tools can contribute to more differentiated and personalised learning experiences?
AI can provide teachers with valuable opportunities to respond more effectively to learner diversity. It can support the adaptation of texts, adjustment of task difficulty, generation of differentiated materials, personalised feedback, and multimodal access to language. For students with dyslexia, tools incorporating text-to-speech, speech-to-text, adapted reading materials, or alternative forms of language production can be particularly useful. Importantly, differentiation through AI does not mean isolating students or lowering expectations. Rather, it can provide different pathways towards shared learning objectives, enabling more learners to participate meaningfully and confidently in the same classroom.

3. Your study focuses on teachers’ perceptions of AI. What factors do you believe influence teachers’ willingness or hesitation to integrate AI into their teaching practices?
Teachers’ attitudes towards AI are influenced by several interconnected factors, particularly their digital competence, previous experience with technology, access to appropriate tools, and confidence in using them pedagogically. Training is especially important. Teachers may recognise AI’s potential while remaining uncertain about how to integrate it effectively, particularly when supporting learners with specific educational needs such as dyslexia. Concerns about reliability, data privacy, ethical use, and overreliance on technology may also create hesitation. Therefore, meaningful professional development should go beyond technical training and help teachers make informed, pedagogically sound decisions about AI.

4. What opportunities and challenges do you foresee regarding the ethical and effective use of AI to support learners with specific educational needs?
AI offers considerable opportunities for accessibility, personalisation, learner autonomy, and participation. For students with specific educational needs, it may help reduce barriers by providing alternative ways of accessing information, practising language, and demonstrating learning. However, these opportunities come with important responsibilities. Data privacy, algorithmic bias, inaccurate outputs, unequal access to technology, and excessive dependence on automated support all require careful consideration. AI should never replace the teacher’s professional judgement or reduce a learner to a diagnosis. Its role should remain supportive, human-centred, and guided by clear pedagogical and ethical principles.

5. What message would you like to share with EFL teachers who are interested in exploring innovative technologies while maintaining inclusive teaching practices?
I would encourage EFL teachers to approach AI with curiosity, but also with a critical and pedagogically informed mindset. Technology should never be the goal itself; its value lies in whether it helps us reach learners who might otherwise encounter barriers to participation and learning. Inclusion is not about offering every student exactly the same experience, but about providing meaningful opportunities for everyone to succeed. Start small, experiment thoughtfully, and keep the learner at the centre. Ultimately, the most important question is: “Does this tool help this learner participate, learn, and feel included?”