Seminar I The Convergence of GenAI and Carbon-Based Life: A Renaissance in Second Language Education Through the Lens of Sociocultural Theory
Seminars / Lectures / Workshops
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Date
05 Sep 2025
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Organiser
Department of English and Communication
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Time
17:30 - 18:30
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Venue
SHA101, PolyU Student Halls of Residence (Hung Hom) / Online via Zoom
Speaker
Professor Lili Qin
Summary
As Vygotsky’s insights intersect with the brilliance of generative AI, language education stands at the threshold of a transcendent “Renaissance” that knows no borders. We are led to ponder: will GenAI, as a new “cultural tool”, enable human cognitive development to take flight, fostering greater efficiency in second language acquisition and education? This lecture invites you to traverse the temporal and spatial realms of sociocultural theory, exploring the synergy between humans and machines in second language education, the evolution of teacher development, and the dual-focus prism of research methodologies. Our goal is to equip engaged readers with a compass grounded in sociocultural theory, guiding them to discover their own “linguistic constellations”.
Keynote Speaker
Professor Lili Qin
Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, China
Lili Qin is a Professor and PhD Supervisor at Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, serving as “Yunshan Distinguished Scholar” in the School of English Education and Director of the Sociocultural Theory and Foreign Language Education Research Center. She is Deputy Secretary-General of the Second Language Acquisition Research Committee and recognized as a “Thousand-Tier Talent” in the provincial “Hundred-Thousand-Ten Thousand” initiative, as well as a high-end “Young Talent” at the municipal level. Dr. Qin leads three provincial-level first-class online and blended undergraduate courses, has secured two National Social Science Fund projects, and participated in multiple national and provincial research initiatives. Her publications include monographs and textbooks on sociocultural theory and cross-cultural communication. With over 80 papers in leading international and Chinese journals, her research focuses on Sociocultural Theory, EFL teaching, and teacher development. Dr. Qin also reviews for SSCI and CSSCI journals and has received multiple teaching and research awards.
