Optimizing Code-Switching in Conversational Tutoring Systems: A Pedagogical Framework and Evaluation
Zhengyuan Liu, Stella Xin Yin, Nancy Chen · 2024
Large language models demonstrate remarkable proficiency in various tasks across multiple languages.However, their potential in codeswitching remains underexplored, particularly in cultural and educational contexts.Codeswitching or translanguaging plays a crucial role in bilingual education, facilitating comprehension and engagement among students with varied language proficiency.In this work, we present a pedagogy-inspired framework that introduces traditional classroom practices of code-switching to intelligent tutoring systems.Specifically, we develop fine-grained instructional strategies tailored to multilingual and educational needs.We conduct experiments involving both LLM-based evaluation and expert analysis to assess the effectiveness of translanguaging in tutoring dialogues.Our experimental results indicate that strategic code-switching can significantly enhance the learning experience.This work not only advances dialogic tutors in language learning but also extends LLMs to better accommodate multilingual interaction.