Immersion students using English AI tools to write their French essays

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noticing a specific pattern in my french immersion class this term that i don’t think gets talked about enough. several students are writing their essays in english first using chatgpt, then translating the whole thing into french themselves or with a translation tool, rather than composing in french directly from the start.

the resulting essays are grammatically fine but read strangely, sentence structures that are clearly english thought patterns translated word for word rather than authentic french construction. its not something a detection tool would necessarily flag as ai use, technically the student did the translation work themselves in a lot of cases, but its still undermining the actual point of an immersion writing assignment, which is to think in the target language, not translate into it.

how do you even address this pedagogically? its not academic dishonesty in the traditional sense, but its also not what the assignment is meant to develop. curious if other immersion teachers have noticed the same pattern this year.

53 replies

53 Replies

0

this matches exactly what i've been observing and i think you've named the real issue precisely, its not a dishonesty problem, its a skill development problem masquerading as one. the assignment's whole purpose, thinking in french rather than translating into it, gets quietly defeated even when every individual step the student took was technically their own work.

0

this matches exactly what i've been observing and i think you've named the real issue precisely, its not a dishonesty problem, its a skill development problem masquerading as one. the assignment's whole purpose, thinking in french rather than translating into it, gets quietly defeated even when every individual step the student took was technically their own work.

0

this matches exactly what i've been observing and i think you've named the real issue precisely, its not a dishonesty problem, its a skill development problem masquerading as one. the assignment's whole purpose, thinking in french rather than translating into it, gets quietly defeated even when every individual step the student took was technically their own work.

0

this matches exactly what i've been observing and i think you've named the real issue precisely, its not a dishonesty problem, its a skill development problem masquerading as one. the assignment's whole purpose, thinking in french rather than translating into it, gets quietly defeated even when every individual step the student took was technically their own work.

0

this matches exactly what i've been observing and i think you've named the real issue precisely, its not a dishonesty problem, its a skill development problem masquerading as one. the assignment's whole purpose, thinking in french rather than translating into it, gets quietly defeated even when every individual step the student took was technically their own work.

0

this matches exactly what i've been observing and i think you've named the real issue precisely, its not a dishonesty problem, its a skill development problem masquerading as one. the assignment's whole purpose, thinking in french rather than translating into it, gets quietly defeated even when every individual step the student took was technically their own work.

0

this matches exactly what i've been observing and i think you've named the real issue precisely, its not a dishonesty problem, its a skill development problem masquerading as one. the assignment's whole purpose, thinking in french rather than translating into it, gets quietly defeated even when every individual step the student took was technically their own work.

0

this matches exactly what i've been observing and i think you've named the real issue precisely, its not a dishonesty problem, its a skill development problem masquerading as one. the assignment's whole purpose, thinking in french rather than translating into it, gets quietly defeated even when every individual step the student took was technically their own work.

0

this matches exactly what i've been observing and i think you've named the real issue precisely, its not a dishonesty problem, its a skill development problem masquerading as one. the assignment's whole purpose, thinking in french rather than translating into it, gets quietly defeated even when every individual step the student took was technically their own work.

0

this matches exactly what i've been observing and i think you've named the real issue precisely, its not a dishonesty problem, its a skill development problem masquerading as one. the assignment's whole purpose, thinking in french rather than translating into it, gets quietly defeated even when every individual step the student took was technically their own work.

0

this matches exactly what i've been observing and i think you've named the real issue precisely, its not a dishonesty problem, its a skill development problem masquerading as one. the assignment's whole purpose, thinking in french rather than translating into it, gets quietly defeated even when every individual step the student took was technically their own work.

0

this matches exactly what i've been observing and i think you've named the real issue precisely, its not a dishonesty problem, its a skill development problem masquerading as one. the assignment's whole purpose, thinking in french rather than translating into it, gets quietly defeated even when every individual step the student took was technically their own work.

0

this matches exactly what i've been observing and i think you've named the real issue precisely, its not a dishonesty problem, its a skill development problem masquerading as one. the assignment's whole purpose, thinking in french rather than translating into it, gets quietly defeated even when every individual step the student took was technically their own work.

0

this matches exactly what i've been observing and i think you've named the real issue precisely, its not a dishonesty problem, its a skill development problem masquerading as one. the assignment's whole purpose, thinking in french rather than translating into it, gets quietly defeated even when every individual step the student took was technically their own work.

0

this matches exactly what i've been observing and i think you've named the real issue precisely, its not a dishonesty problem, its a skill development problem masquerading as one. the assignment's whole purpose, thinking in french rather than translating into it, gets quietly defeated even when every individual step the student took was technically their own work.

0

i tried something with my own immersion class this term to test if requiring a french-only brainstorming step first, before any drafting happens, would change this pattern. early results are promising, students who brainstorm in french first produce noticeably more natural sentence structures even when they still use tools during the drafting phase afterward.

0

this matches exactly what i've been observing and i think you've named the real issue precisely, its not a dishonesty problem, its a skill development problem masquerading as one. the assignment's whole purpose, thinking in french rather than translating into it, gets quietly defeated even when every individual step the student took was technically their own work.

0

i tried something with my own immersion class this term to test if requiring a french-only brainstorming step first, before any drafting happens, would change this pattern. early results are promising, students who brainstorm in french first produce noticeably more natural sentence structures even when they still use tools during the drafting phase afterward.

0

this matches exactly what i've been observing and i think you've named the real issue precisely, its not a dishonesty problem, its a skill development problem masquerading as one. the assignment's whole purpose, thinking in french rather than translating into it, gets quietly defeated even when every individual step the student took was technically their own work.

0

i tried something with my own immersion class this term to test if requiring a french-only brainstorming step first, before any drafting happens, would change this pattern. early results are promising, students who brainstorm in french first produce noticeably more natural sentence structures even when they still use tools during the drafting phase afterward.

0

this matches exactly what i've been observing and i think you've named the real issue precisely, its not a dishonesty problem, its a skill development problem masquerading as one. the assignment's whole purpose, thinking in french rather than translating into it, gets quietly defeated even when every individual step the student took was technically their own work.

0

i tried something with my own immersion class this term to test if requiring a french-only brainstorming step first, before any drafting happens, would change this pattern. early results are promising, students who brainstorm in french first produce noticeably more natural sentence structures even when they still use tools during the drafting phase afterward.

0

this matches exactly what i've been observing and i think you've named the real issue precisely, its not a dishonesty problem, its a skill development problem masquerading as one. the assignment's whole purpose, thinking in french rather than translating into it, gets quietly defeated even when every individual step the student took was technically their own work.

0

i tried something with my own immersion class this term to test if requiring a french-only brainstorming step first, before any drafting happens, would change this pattern. early results are promising, students who brainstorm in french first produce noticeably more natural sentence structures even when they still use tools during the drafting phase afterward.

0

this matches exactly what i've been observing and i think you've named the real issue precisely, its not a dishonesty problem, its a skill development problem masquerading as one. the assignment's whole purpose, thinking in french rather than translating into it, gets quietly defeated even when every individual step the student took was technically their own work.

0

i tried something with my own immersion class this term to test if requiring a french-only brainstorming step first, before any drafting happens, would change this pattern. early results are promising, students who brainstorm in french first produce noticeably more natural sentence structures even when they still use tools during the drafting phase afterward.

0

this matches exactly what i've been observing and i think you've named the real issue precisely, its not a dishonesty problem, its a skill development problem masquerading as one. the assignment's whole purpose, thinking in french rather than translating into it, gets quietly defeated even when every individual step the student took was technically their own work.

0

i tried something with my own immersion class this term to test if requiring a french-only brainstorming step first, before any drafting happens, would change this pattern. early results are promising, students who brainstorm in french first produce noticeably more natural sentence structures even when they still use tools during the drafting phase afterward.

0

adding to this, i wonder if the french-only brainstorm step Laura describes could become a standard immersion practice regardless of AI, it addresses a translation habit that predates any of these tools honestly, ai just makes the underlying pattern more visible and more common at scale.

0

this matches exactly what i've been observing and i think you've named the real issue precisely, its not a dishonesty problem, its a skill development problem masquerading as one. the assignment's whole purpose, thinking in french rather than translating into it, gets quietly defeated even when every individual step the student took was technically their own work.

0

i tried something with my own immersion class this term to test if requiring a french-only brainstorming step first, before any drafting happens, would change this pattern. early results are promising, students who brainstorm in french first produce noticeably more natural sentence structures even when they still use tools during the drafting phase afterward.

0

adding to this, i wonder if the french-only brainstorm step Laura describes could become a standard immersion practice regardless of AI, it addresses a translation habit that predates any of these tools honestly, ai just makes the underlying pattern more visible and more common at scale.

0

this matches exactly what i've been observing and i think you've named the real issue precisely, its not a dishonesty problem, its a skill development problem masquerading as one. the assignment's whole purpose, thinking in french rather than translating into it, gets quietly defeated even when every individual step the student took was technically their own work.

0

i tried something with my own immersion class this term to test if requiring a french-only brainstorming step first, before any drafting happens, would change this pattern. early results are promising, students who brainstorm in french first produce noticeably more natural sentence structures even when they still use tools during the drafting phase afterward.

0

adding to this, i wonder if the french-only brainstorm step Laura describes could become a standard immersion practice regardless of AI, it addresses a translation habit that predates any of these tools honestly, ai just makes the underlying pattern more visible and more common at scale.

0

this matches exactly what i've been observing and i think you've named the real issue precisely, its not a dishonesty problem, its a skill development problem masquerading as one. the assignment's whole purpose, thinking in french rather than translating into it, gets quietly defeated even when every individual step the student took was technically their own work.

0

i tried something with my own immersion class this term to test if requiring a french-only brainstorming step first, before any drafting happens, would change this pattern. early results are promising, students who brainstorm in french first produce noticeably more natural sentence structures even when they still use tools during the drafting phase afterward.

0

adding to this, i wonder if the french-only brainstorm step Laura describes could become a standard immersion practice regardless of AI, it addresses a translation habit that predates any of these tools honestly, ai just makes the underlying pattern more visible and more common at scale.

0

this matches exactly what i've been observing and i think you've named the real issue precisely, its not a dishonesty problem, its a skill development problem masquerading as one. the assignment's whole purpose, thinking in french rather than translating into it, gets quietly defeated even when every individual step the student took was technically their own work.

0

i tried something with my own immersion class this term to test if requiring a french-only brainstorming step first, before any drafting happens, would change this pattern. early results are promising, students who brainstorm in french first produce noticeably more natural sentence structures even when they still use tools during the drafting phase afterward.

0

adding to this, i wonder if the french-only brainstorm step Laura describes could become a standard immersion practice regardless of AI, it addresses a translation habit that predates any of these tools honestly, ai just makes the underlying pattern more visible and more common at scale.

0

this matches exactly what i've been observing and i think you've named the real issue precisely, its not a dishonesty problem, its a skill development problem masquerading as one. the assignment's whole purpose, thinking in french rather than translating into it, gets quietly defeated even when every individual step the student took was technically their own work.

0

i tried something with my own immersion class this term to test if requiring a french-only brainstorming step first, before any drafting happens, would change this pattern. early results are promising, students who brainstorm in french first produce noticeably more natural sentence structures even when they still use tools during the drafting phase afterward.

0

adding to this, i wonder if the french-only brainstorm step Laura describes could become a standard immersion practice regardless of AI, it addresses a translation habit that predates any of these tools honestly, ai just makes the underlying pattern more visible and more common at scale.

0

this matches exactly what i've been observing and i think you've named the real issue precisely, its not a dishonesty problem, its a skill development problem masquerading as one. the assignment's whole purpose, thinking in french rather than translating into it, gets quietly defeated even when every individual step the student took was technically their own work.

0

i tried something with my own immersion class this term to test if requiring a french-only brainstorming step first, before any drafting happens, would change this pattern. early results are promising, students who brainstorm in french first produce noticeably more natural sentence structures even when they still use tools during the drafting phase afterward.

0

adding to this, i wonder if the french-only brainstorm step Laura describes could become a standard immersion practice regardless of AI, it addresses a translation habit that predates any of these tools honestly, ai just makes the underlying pattern more visible and more common at scale.

0

this matches exactly what i've been observing and i think you've named the real issue precisely, its not a dishonesty problem, its a skill development problem masquerading as one. the assignment's whole purpose, thinking in french rather than translating into it, gets quietly defeated even when every individual step the student took was technically their own work.

0

i tried something with my own immersion class this term to test if requiring a french-only brainstorming step first, before any drafting happens, would change this pattern. early results are promising, students who brainstorm in french first produce noticeably more natural sentence structures even when they still use tools during the drafting phase afterward.

0

adding to this, i wonder if the french-only brainstorm step Laura describes could become a standard immersion practice regardless of AI, it addresses a translation habit that predates any of these tools honestly, ai just makes the underlying pattern more visible and more common at scale.

0

this matches exactly what i've been observing and i think you've named the real issue precisely, its not a dishonesty problem, its a skill development problem masquerading as one. the assignment's whole purpose, thinking in french rather than translating into it, gets quietly defeated even when every individual step the student took was technically their own work.

0

i tried something with my own immersion class this term to test if requiring a french-only brainstorming step first, before any drafting happens, would change this pattern. early results are promising, students who brainstorm in french first produce noticeably more natural sentence structures even when they still use tools during the drafting phase afterward.

0

adding to this, i wonder if the french-only brainstorm step Laura describes could become a standard immersion practice regardless of AI, it addresses a translation habit that predates any of these tools honestly, ai just makes the underlying pattern more visible and more common at scale.