Dr Koromvokis Patricia
Senior Lecturer in Global Cultures and Languages in the School of International Studies at Macquarie University
Reimagining Modern Greek Education in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
Abstract
The emergence of generative AI tools is reshaping how Modern Greek is taught and assessed within diaspora communities, prompting educators to reconsider long-held pedagogical approaches. This presentation examines how AI literacy and critical thinking can be cultivated among heritage and second-language learners of Modern Greek by embedding metalanguage criteria into assessment design. For diaspora learners, who often navigate complex linguistic identities, the ability to reflect on and articulate grammatical and syntactical choices carries particular cultural and educational significance.
Drawing on the principle that assessment should foster critical engagement and meaningful feedback in the age of AI (Assessment Reform for The Age of Artificial Intelligence, 2023), Modern Greek language rubrics have been redesigned to foreground metalanguage competency (Harun et al., 2017). Reimagined online assessment tasks invited students to justify their language choices, interrogate AI-generated content (Kohnke, Moorhouse, & Zou, 2023), and detect verbose, inaccurate, or misleading responses produced by tools such as ChatGPT and Copilot (Bowman, 2022). Findings from trialling these tasks reveal notable limitations in how AI platforms explain Greek grammar and syntax, raising important questions for diaspora language education.
As AI increasingly handles first-draft language production, the distinctly human capacity to evaluate, refine, and critically assess output becomes indispensable. This presentation offers practical assessment frameworks that equip diaspora learners of Modern Greek not only to engage meaningfully with their heritage language, but to do so with the evaluative confidence demanded by a post-ChatGPT world.
References
Assessment Reform for The Age of Artificial Intelligence, 2023. https://www.teqsa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-09/assessment-reform-age-artificial-intelligence-discussion-paper.pdf
Bowman, E. (2022). A new AI chatbot might do your homework for you. But it’s still not an A+ student. NPR.
Harun, H., Abdullah, N., Ab. Wahab, N. S., & Zainuddin, N. (2017). The use of metalanguage among second language learners to mediate L2 grammar learning. Malaysian Journal of Learning and Instruction (MJLI), 14(2), 85-114.
Kohnke, L., Moorhouse, B. L., & Zou, D. (2023). ChatGPT for language teaching and learning. RELC Journal.
Biography
Dr. Patricia Koromvokis is a Senior Lecturer in Global Cultures and Languages in the School of International Studies at Macquarie University. She is the Course Director of the Bachelor of International Studies and she also serves as the Head of one of the largest global examination centres for the Certificate of Attainment in Greek. A linguist specialising in second language acquisition and intercultural communication.
Dr. Koromvokis has received the Vice-Chancellor’s Commendation for Academic Excellence for her doctoral thesis and was a finalist in the Greek International Women Awards 2023 in the Education & Psychology category.
She is at the forefront of initiatives, research projects, and international collaborations aimed at innovating language and culture education. In 2021, she partnered with Australia’s largest Greek-Australian aged care facility on a research project funded by the NSW Multicultural Ministry. This initiative addressed the critical need for inclusive linguistic and cultural support for bilingual aged care recipients. Dr. Koromvokis is also a key organiser of international educational events. She has served on organising committees for national and international conferences and delivered keynote presentations, showcasing her expertise in transcultural education and language learning.
