A NEW PARADIGM FOR FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING IN A PEDAGOGICAL UNIVERSITY IN KAZAKHSTAN: HOW TO USE AI TO RESTORE DIALOGUE, EMPATHY, AND CRITICAL THINKING

Abstract

This paper proposes a new paradigm for teaching foreign languages in pedagogical universities, where Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not employed as a substitute for human teachers, but as a catalyst to revive authentic dialogue, cultural empathy, and critical reflection — core values enshrined in Kazakhstan’s national education strategy. Grounded in President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s 2024 Address, which calls for AI to “strengthen, not weaken, the human dimension of education,” this study argues that AI’s greatest pedagogical value lies not in its linguistic accuracy, but in its cultural blindness — exposing the silent, sacred rituals of communication that algorithms cannot replicate. Through low-tech, high-impact classroom practices — such as critically analyzing AI-generated responses to culturally nuanced prompts (e.g., “How to say ‘no’ in Kazakh culture?”) and co-creating authentic dialogues rooted in Kazakh traditions like “Қош келдіңіз!” and “Құтты болсын!” — students learn that language is not merely grammar, but a vessel of dignity, respect, and identity. The approach is theoretically anchored in Hymes’ (1972) communicative competence, Vygotsky’s (1978) sociocultural theory, and Gadamer’s (1975) hermeneutics, and is fully aligned with Kazakhstan’s Law on Education (2007), the Concept of Higher Education Development (2023–2029), and the Order of the Government No. 248. This model empowers future educators to use AI not to automate, but to humanize language learning — transforming classrooms into spaces where technology serves humanity, not replaces it.