Abolutely delighted to give a keynote on the 8th CLE Conference on Teaching and Learning, at The Center for Language Education (CLE) at the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) , Shenzhen on November 8, 2025
The Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) Shenzhen has achieved #2 ranking among the world’s young universities in the Nature Index 2021.
On a personal note, it’s been so special to reunite with former U. Cambridge former MPhil and Phd students: Dr Simin Zheng, Dr Pu Shi, Dr Jinshi Shao and Dr Danyang Zhang.
Nothing is more satisfying that seeing your former students thrive both personally and academically.
Building critical literacies in post-digital language classrooms
Prof Pascual Pérez-Paredes, Keynote Speaker
This talk argues for a reorientation of educational priorities: from technocentric training in Artificial intelligence (AI) tool usage to fostering the capacity to interrogate the sociotechnical systems that shape our digital realities. Drawing on recent research with higher education students in Europe, I will explore how learners interact with generative AI, what assumptions they hold about its authority, and how it influences their academic practices. The talk will examine how large language models challenge traditional notions of authorship, academic originality, and teacher agency. It will also discuss how digital literacies have evolved from functional ICT skills to encompass ethics and participation in algorithmic cultures. The talk advocates for a pedagogy that not only integrates AI but critically questions it.