Flagship Forward
Flagship Forward is a Tech Center program that explores how artificial intelligence (AI) can support instruction aimed at developing professional-level language proficiency in Language Flagship programs. Through a series of panels and presentations, educators will engage with experts and peers to examine the opportunities and challenges of integrating AI into language learning and teaching.
Upcoming Events
AI Across the Modes of Communication
Thursday, 3/19/26
10:00am HST, 1:00pm PDT, 2:00pm MDT, 3:00pm CDT, 4:00pm EDT
Attend our next Flagship Forward event to hear ways in which AI is being used across the modes of communication.
Mireia Toda Cosi
University of Maryland, College Park
Mireia Toda Cosi is a PhD candidate in Second Language Acquisition at the University of Maryland, College Park, where she works under the supervision of Dr. Ekaterina Sudina. Her research focuses on the application of artificial intelligence to language learning in collaboration with Dr. Frederick Poole (Michigan State University), individual differences in language aptitude, and measurement. She also volunteers as a teacher of Catalan as a foreign language and is a native speaker of the language.
Frane Karabatic
University of Texas at Austin, Department of Slavic and Eurasian Studies
Frane Karabatić is an assistant professor of instruction in the Department of Slavic and Eurasian Studies, where he teaches Bosnian, Croatian, Montenegrin, and Serbian (BCMS), as well as Russian. He received his Ph.D. in second language acquisition from the University of Kansas, with a dissertation on intercultural communicative competence in foreign language learning. Alongside his teaching, he develops large-scale digital learning systems, language learning curricula, and open educational resources (OER) for university-level language instruction, combining linguistic rigor and cultural context with educational technology, learning experience design, and UX-informed design. He is the author of two open-access Croatian textbooks, Tako Lako for beginners and Navrh Jezika for intermediate learners.
Past Events
AI and Professional Language Proficiency
01/29/26
Dr. Shannon Donnally Quinn &
Meejeong Song
This Flagship Forward event explores ways that AI is being harnessed for working towards professional level language proficiency.
AI and Language for Specific Purposes.
AI in the PBL Process for Professional Proficiency
Continuing the Exploration of AI in Flagship Contexts
12/08/25
Dr. Attia Youseif &
Dianne Juhn
The third event in the Flagship Forward series continues the exploration of innovative ways to integrate AI into world language education with a focus on developing professional-level proficiency:
Using AI to scaffold materials for capstone preparation (by Dianne Juhn, UHM Korean Flagship)
Creating interactive AI-powered learning spaces (by Attia Youseif, IU Arabic Flagship)
Chatbot Use Cases
11/05/25
Dr. Yao Tu,
Dr. Rebecca Cravens, &
Dr. Olga A. Thomason
The second event in the Flagship Forward series continues the exploration of how generative AI can support professional language proficiency in Language Flagship programs. Building on the first session’s introduction to creating custom chatbots, this presentation highlights three concrete use cases demonstrating how chatbots are being implemented across Flagship programs to enhance language learning.
Designing Custom AI Chatbots
10/01/25
Dr. Rachel Mamiya Hernandez &
Dr. Richard Medina
The first Flagship Forward session explores how to create custom AI chatbots using retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) for language learning—no coding required. We cover tools, design tips, and real-world examples to show how RAG can make chatbots more accurate, context-aware, and tailored to students’ professional language needs.