Eaquals Supports ASR’s Workshop Series on AI and the Future of Corporate Language Training

In 2025, Eaquals was pleased to support a two-part workshop series organised by ASR (Association of Swedish Language Trainers), an Eaquals Associate Member, through the Eaquals Member Event Fund. The workshops focused on AI corporate language training, a topic of growing importance for trainers, institutions and clients across the corporate and public sectors.

The annual ASR workshop traditionally serves as a key meeting point for language trainers working with professional learners. This year’s programme reflected the rapid development of AI tools and the need for informed, professional discussion about their role in language education.

Online Workshop: Developing Confidence with AI

The first event took place online in May and followed up on a well-received workshop held in autumn 2024. Both events were delivered in Swedish and began with short introductions to ASR and Eaquals.

The online workshop was led by Peter Zackariasson, an experienced language trainer, author and speaker, known for his book ChatGPT for Teachers. Building on the earlier session, the focus this time was on more advanced and reflective use of AI in corporate language training. Topics included not only tools and techniques, but also how AI is reshaping the training market, alongside ethical and professional considerations.

More than 40 participants attended the half-day session, representing a wide range of languages, including Swedish as a Foreign Language. The workshop was particularly aimed at trainers who already had some experience using AI and wanted to deepen their understanding and confidence.

In-Person Workshop in Stockholm: A Shared Professional Approach

As networking remains a central value of the ASR annual workshop, the Association also organised an in-person

 event, which took place in Stockholm on 20 November. Many ASR members work as freelance trainers, often as subcontractors, and value the opportunity to meet colleagues face to face. Some participants travelled long distances to attend.

While interest in AI remained high, ASR decided to shift the focus away from tools and instead highlight the role of the trainer. The workshop, titled “AI and Language Training: Towards a Common Approach”, aimed to explore how trainers can collectively position themselves in a changing professional landscape and clearly communicate their value to corporate clients. Demand was strong, and enrolment was closed at 55 participants.

Following presentations on ASR and Eaquals, the event opened with a panel discussion between a technology-positive purchaser of language training and a representative of a training provider. This offered valuable insight into current expectations and concerns from both buyer and supplier perspectives.

Participants then took part in group discussions around four key themes:

• The value added by human beings in language learning

• AI as a colleague rather than a competitor

• Balancing client expectations in a rapidly changing business environment

• Language teaching as a craft and a profession

The discussions were lively, thoughtful and highly engaged, generating a wide range of ideas and shared reflections on the future of AI corporate language training.

Looking Ahead

ASR is currently working to structure the feedback from the workshop into a proposed common approach that can be shared with its members. This will later be used to communicate consistently with corporate markets, underlining the value of combining AI tools with skilled, professional teachers in an effective and responsible way.

Feedback from participants has been overwhelmingly positive, both in terms of content and the opportunity to connect with peers.

As the event organiser commented:

“These workshops were a great opportunity to bring together corporate language trainers, not only to discuss and exchange thoughts about crucial, urgent issues in our industry, but also to interact and build new networks. We are very grateful to Eaquals for their generous support!”

Eaquals is proud to have supported this initiative and to continue working with members and associate members such as ASR to promote quality, professionalism and thoughtful innovation in language education.