"ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN TEACHING AND LEARNING ENGLISH: BOON OR BANE?" — A SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE AT CAMPUS II UNIVERSITY OF LABOUR AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS

In the context of the rapidly developing Industry 4.0 revolution, particularly following the surge of Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications such as ChatGPT, QuillBot, Grammarly, and various learning chatbots, the integration of AI into foreign language teaching in general, and English language teaching in particular, is no longer a novelty but has become an inevitable trend.

However, alongside clear benefits such as personalized learning, support for instant feedback, increased academic writing efficiency, idea generation, and knowledge expansion, educators and learners cannot ignore significant challenges that warrant reflection: the risk of dependency on technology, the erosion of critical thinking and self-study skills, issues concerning plagiarism and academic ethics, and the changing role of teachers in the age of AI. Therefore, posing the question "AI in English teaching – boon or bane?" is not merely academic but also a practical, urgent issue that shapes the future direction of foreign language education.

With over 40 papers submitted to the conference, 31 of which were selected for full publication in the proceedings, scientists, educators, and researchers from institutions both within and outside the university—including the University of Labour and Social Affairs (both Campus I and Campus II), Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade, Hanoi Open University, Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine, etc.—once again brought outstanding research findings, novel perspectives, valuable experience, dedication, and emerging research ideas to the conference, covering fields such as linguistics, international studies, foreign language education, and other related disciplines.

At the conference, the Organizing Committee was honored to welcome Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dang Nguyen Giang – Dean of the Faculty of Foreign Languages – University of Labour and Social Affairs; Senior Lecturer, Dr. Le Thi Nhung – Head of the Department of Quality Management - Science and Cooperation; Dr. Nguyen Van Dong – Director of the Center for Training, Development & Services; along with all lecturers from the Faculty of Foreign Languages and over 20 students from Campus II - University of Labour and Social Affairs.

Mr. Nguyen Tat Hiep, MA, Manager in Charge of the Faculty of Foreign Languages, delivers the opening remarks at the Conference

Delivering the opening remarks, Mr. Nguyen Tat Hiep, MA, Manager in Charge of the Faculty of Foreign Languages, emphasized that the conference contributes to enhancing the capacity and quality of English teaching by the Faculty's lecturers and improving the quality of English learning for students. Simultaneously, he noted, it serves as a forum to incrementally contribute to developing training programs aligned with human resource development goals, establishing a correlation between training needs and the practical utilization of the University's strengths, thereby serving training demands.

Commencing the conference sessions, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dang Nguyen Giang – Dean of the Faculty of Foreign Languages – University of Labour and Social Affairs presented his paper on "Students' Perceptions of Using QuillBot to Improve English Writing Skills." The presentation detailed the research group's study on using AI applications to enhance the writing skills of students majoring in English Language. The research aimed to understand students' perceptions of using QuillBot, an AI-powered tool, to improve their writing. The research was conducted at the Faculty of Foreign Languages, University of Labour and Social Affairs, involving 30 third-year English Language majors. Data collection tools included questionnaires and in-depth interviews. The research findings indicated that students view QuillBot as an effective tool for improving their writing skills, particularly in enhancing grammar and vocabulary. 100% of the participating students stated that the QuillBot application helped them write more and make fewer mistakes. In other words, students responded positively to using QuillBot in their writing process.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dang Nguyen Giang presents his paper at the Conference.

Labour and Social Affairs (Campus II), on the topic "Managing 'AI' Usage at Some Universities Worldwide and Implications for Vietnam." This paper focused on exploring: (1) General issues concerning AI in higher education; (2) Regulations on AI use in learning at several international universities and the practical situation in Vietnam, subsequently proposing solutions to enhance the effectiveness of AI application at Vietnamese universities.

Ms. Hoang Thi Bien, MA, presents her paper at the Conference

In his presentation, which was also the final one of the conference, Mr. Tong Thanh Thuy, MA, Lecturer at the Faculty of Foreign Languages - University of Labour and Social Affairs (Campus II), presented his research titled "UTILIZING AI-BASED TOOLS IN LEARNING ENGLISH WRITING SKILLS: A CASE STUDY AT UNIVERSITY LABOUR AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS (HCMC CAMPUS)". The research involved forty second-year English majors from two academic writing courses at the University of Labour and Social Affairs (Campus II). Primarily, the research collected data through tests and questionnaires. The findings revealed that students perceive Artificial Intelligence (AI) positively and that AI-based tools assist learners at the discourse, sentence, and word/phrase levels. Regarding coherence and cohesion, lexical resources, grammatical range, and appropriateness, the implementation of AI-based technologies significantly benefits learners. This research can be considered a useful reference for teachers and learners of academic writing, especially those who may qualify for standardized English tests.

Mr. Tong Thanh Thuy, MA, presents his paper at the Conference

Following the speakers' presentations, the lecturers and students engaged in discussion and offered very positive contributions towards enhancing the quality of foreign language teaching, particularly English, at Campus II - University of Labour and Social Affairs.

Full view of the Faculty of Foreign Languages' Scientific Conference 2025

Conference delegates pose for a commemorative photo

Conference delegates pose for a commemorative photo

The Organizing Committee sincerely thanks the Board of Directors of the University of Labour and Social Affairs (Campus II) for their thoughtful support and for facilitating the successful organization of this conference. We would also like to express our deep appreciation to the authors who submitted their papers, to all distinguished delegates, scientists, educators, and students whose participation contributed significantly to the success of the Faculty of Foreign Languages' Scientific Conference 2025./.