The Character Who Never Interrupts: Using AI Chatbots to Grow Oral Fluency in Multilingual Learners

A shy student. A literary character. A conversation that actually happens. AI chatbots lower the threshold so every student can speak — no perfect grammar required. Naturally differentiated: quiet learners rehearse at their own pace; advanced students push characters with harder questions. The magic isn't the tech — it's what you do next. Watch original character interactions unfold, then tweak your prompts in real time to guide students beyond "what happened" into "why it matters." Fair warning: DeepSeek loves to add extra information. Sometimes it's right. Sometimes students get the genuine joy of declaring, "Actually, that never happened in Chapter 3." That's not a bug — that's critical thinking dressed up as argument. Authentic task completion at every level. No tech background needed. Just curiosity and a character who's always ready to listen — and occasionally wrong enough to keep things interesting.

Presenter

Elizabeth Cordray

High School English Language Teacher
Springboard International Bilingual School

Elizabeth Cordray is a high school English language & language acquisition specialist who believes communication—in any form—should be accessible to every student. Working across IBDP, MYP, IGCSE, AP, and IELTS, Elizabeth designs flexible, tech-forward classrooms that lower participation barriers for students needing SEL support. A regular presenter in her school context, she champions language immersion as joyful and achievable for all. With a B.A. in English and Political Science, Elizabeth’s approach is part cheerleader, part experimenter: meet students where they are, give them the right tools, and watch what they can say.