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 and Professional Language Proficiency
Thursday, 1/29/26
8:00am HST, 10:00am PST, 11:00am MST, 12:00pm CST, 1:00pm EST
Attend our next Flagship Forward event to hear about ways that AI is being harnessed for working towards professional level language proficiency.
Shannon Donnally Quinn
Associate Professor of Russian at Michigan State University
Shannon Donnally Quinn is Associate Professor of Russian at Michigan State University. She received her Ph.D at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Slavic languages and an M.Ed in Instructional Design from the University of Massachusetts-Boston. Her interests include instructional technology in language teaching, blended learning, and curricular design. She is the Editor-in-Chief of The FLTMAG and co-author of Diverse Russian: A Multicultural Exploration.
Meejeong Song
Senior Lecturer of Korean at Cornell University
Meejeong Song is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Asian Studies and Coordinator of the Korean Language Program at Cornell University. An active member of AATK, ACTFL, NEALLT, and IALLT, she served as an elected board member of AATK from 2019 to 2022, hosted the 27th AATK annual conference at Cornell in 2022, and was elected Chair of the Korean SIG of ACTFL in 2024. Her work focuses on Content-Based Teaching, Project-Based Language Learning, and Technology-Aided Teaching Material Development. She is also deeply committed to mentoring and supporting students both inside and outside the classroom.
Past Events
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.