I’m gonna say it: I hate learning new languages. I’ve lived in four different countries outside my native one, and the only place I managed to become fluent in the local language was the one my family moved to when I was still young, and my brain was still so plastic. Ever since then, in time, I have developed almost a phobia of learning new languages.
So what can AI do to help with this?
Well of course, AI has been involved in language-learning technological applications for quite some time now. Most popular language-learning apps, like Duolingo or Babbel, use some form of AI-powered voice recognition to facilitate pronunciation learning. AI is also commonly used for discerning the level that a user is at, and providing them the appropriate (pre-generated) content to improve. But that is old news. With the explosion of ChatGPT, what are some innovative ways that companies are leveraging these new-found AI capabilities to help me learn a language in a way that doesn’t make me hate my life?
I’ve been having fun with Talkpal.
In every “traditional” (i.e. in person) language class I’ve had, I always felt that the most useful part was always the “forced” conversation with a partner, as awkward as it was (for me at least). With previous online tools like Duolingo or Babbel, I always felt that this aspect was missing, since they never had an integrated section for natural, free-flowing conversation. Talkpal bridges that gap between traditional, interaction-based learning and online resources. It is a GPT-powered AI chatbot that can act like your personal language teacher – but one that interacts with you and responds according to whatever input, not a pre-generated “correct” or “incorrect” answer. It also has the ability to engage in various roleplaying scenarios to practice vocabulary or tone, like grocery shopping. And hidden behind a paywall is also a “photo mode”, focused on describing and discussing images.
I know its going to fade, but at least for a while, I’m going to have some fun practicing my French with it.
I like your tone and manner in this blog, truly expressing your feelings about the difficulties of learning new language. I feel the same as you do, as I failed in learning French even after taking two years of second-language course in college. Thankfully, you shared a great example of a GPT-powered AI chatbot called “TalkPal”, which I found really interesting! I agree that practicing conversation is a must to improve language skills, so the question is, is it possible to record your voice and start a real conversation with these kinds of AI tools? Let’s find out to help us with learning French haha 🙂
I found your article very interesting as I also struggle with practicing new languages. During language courses, we are made to memorize standard conversations which are usually not useful in real situations. Further, many people struggle (myself included) when they try to practice with native speakers, as they are either too shy or the language partners switch to English all the time. I will search and try Talkpal myself, and hopefully it will help me practice my vocabulary 🙂