of language social cognition (assessing and reasoning about intentions, mental states, and social situations) and reasoning and information processing of physical reality. Language plays a crucial role in shaping human knowledge through everyday use (Marzeda, 2021). Consequently, non-native English students may struggle academically not due to a lack of intelligence but because they face challenges in comprehending concepts presented in English (Thamaga-Chitja & Mbatha, 2012). Artificial intelligence, therefore, offers a promising solution to bridge this linguistic gap and facilitate more effective learning. As a tutor, my pedagogy moved beyond the classroom and into WhatsApp group chats that students refer to as “tutorial group chats”, where I tried to explain phenomena in ways students could understand in either Zulu, Sotho, Tswana, or Xhosa. WhatsApp allowed for this smooth flow of understanding in their contexts and languages. This technological pedagogy awarded me a “Most Innovative Tutor” in 2022. This was because WhatsApp, as a digital approach to teaching and learning, allows for a personalised learning experience where students feel seen, heard, and understood. WhatsApp is the most used instant messaging application globally, and it gained traction upon its establishment (Cetinkaya, 2017). Furthermore, it aids in addressing the frustration that Thamaga-Chitja and Mbatha (2012) talk about in that Black students tend to feel academically frustrated because of their restricted nature in articulating and expressing themselves academically in a language they are unfamiliar with. Therefore, this individual endeavour led to my understanding of the fact that SDG4 is affected as students cannot access education due to a language barrier which further creates inequalities (SDG10) within an academic space. If the importance of WhatsApp for higher learning in South Africa is acknowledged, it can increase learning in educational spaces and motivate learners to be active in their learning (Cetinkaya, 2017). Furthermore, it aids in severing engagement between students on personal and course-related issues or discussions (Cifuentes & Lents, 2011; Smit, 2012). Cetinkaya (2017) further claims that WhatsApp creates an environment where students can feel like they belong, and it can eradicate existential social barriers. This article demonstrates that I can contextualise and personalise learning for students using the application, facilitating more effective communication within familiar frameworks. Another benefit of WhatsApp is that it allows for learning anytime and anywhere (Cetinkaya, 2017), including within teaching and learning at the UJ, which can ensure students’ access to education, academic success and development. Consequently, my pedagogical approach emphasises the use of WhatsApp group chats as a tool for educators to enhance learning outcomes and foster stronger relationships with their students. This endeavour can be taken for granted because it is only a WhatsApp group but post-COVID-19, each year’s cohort of students has been creating group chats as a form of a platform to seek help in their academic success and development and with the guidance of an educator, this platform could be enhanced and thrive. This platform is mostly used to solve enquiries but can be used for more. As previously stated, technology, or rather AI, personalises learning because it provides certain language tools that can be used within a learning environment. It can be used to advise students on how to ensure that their academics are in the right order. This is alluded to by Makeleni, Mutongoza, and Linake (2023), who claim that language education tools that come with artificial intelligence can personalise learning processes, provide real-time feedback and gamification, and increase accessibility. Contextually, given that these tools can be used anywhere and anytime, they make language learning accessible to those learners who cannot access traditional language classes (Makeleni et al., Teaching Innovation for the 21st Century | Showcasing UJ Teaching Innovation Projects 2024 49 If the importance of WhatsApp for higher learning in South Africa is acknowledged, it can increase learning in educational spaces and motivate learners to be active in their learning
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