A senior student from the English Language Teaching Department, Sumaya Rashad Mahmood, completed an innovative capstone project exploring the use of artificial intelligence to create short stories that promote social and emotional learning among children.
The project, titled “Bilingual Storybook for Kurdish Children: Promoting Social and Emotional Learning through Artificial Intelligence and Storytelling,” resulted in the production of 13 illustrated short stories in English and Kurdish Sorani for children aged 5–10. The stories address important social and emotional skills, including self-awareness, emotion management, empathy, communication, cooperation, and responsible decision-making.
Artificial intelligence tools were used to support story generation, translation, and illustration. However, the stories were also carefully reviewed and edited to ensure linguistic accuracy, cultural relevance, and age-appropriate content. Kurdish cultural settings and familiar everyday situations were incorporated to make the stories more meaningful and relatable to young readers.
The project highlights how AI can be used responsibly in education when combined with human creativity, academic knowledge, and careful review. It also addresses the limited availability of bilingual and culturally appropriate Kurdish children’s literature on emotions and social behavior.
Through this project, the ELT Department continues to encourage students to connect language education with technology, creativity, and the needs of the local community.
