Transformations in the Didactics of Foreign-language Literature in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

Abstract

Abstract: The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into education is transforming how literary texts are read, interpreted, linguistically mediated, and assessed, as well as how the significance and cultural status of their authors are conceptualised. This article examines transformations in the didactics of foreign-language literature, with particular emphasis on Italian literature and the teaching of Italian as a foreign language. It explores the potential of generative AI for personalised learning, linguistic support, engagement with authentic literary texts, comparative analysis of human-generated and AI-generated interpretations, translation, the development of intercultural competence, and the cultivation of AI literacy. Particular attention is devoted to the methodological potential of the Italian literary tradition, extending from Dante and Petrarca to contemporary Italian literature with examples such as Pirandello and Calvino. The central hypothesis is that artificial intelligence should be regarded neither as a substitute for the professor or for the practice of literary reading, nor merely as a technical instrument or as a means of employing specialised software. The analysis suggests that a more appropriate framework for philological education is a human-centred pedagogical model for the teaching of literature and foreign languages at university level. Within such a model, technological tools, software applications, and algorithms function as instruments for fostering critical thinking and for integrating traditional and contemporary approaches into academic communication and university teaching. Artificial intelligence can be productively employed in the formulation of questions by both lecturers and students throughout the educational process; it can support interpretation and comparative analysis, facilitate the verification of claims and arguments, and, in certain contexts, encourage critical reflection on the reading process itself. In conclusion, the article proposes an expanded didactic model that integrates literary, linguistic, intercultural, digital, and AI literacy, thereby reconceptualising the teaching and learning of foreign-language literature in the context of contemporary higher education. Keywords: foreign-language literature, Italian literature, literary didactics, artificial intelligence, academic communication, philological education.