Artificial Intelligence in Language Learning – Part 1
More students are looking to Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a complement to their learning process. Computer programs and AI-powered language apps have unique and appealing features. These AI systems deliver interactive language exercises and engage learners. They also beat human teachers in providing instant feedback with accuracy.
It’s no secret that artificial intelligence has taken the world by storm and affects all areas of life and business. AI-powered tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Bing continue changing how people perform everyday tasks. In fact, some tools even allow you to build a chatbot of your own.
Still, the opinions on using AI technologies to learn new languages differ. How does artificial intelligence impact language learning? What has changed in the way students acquire a foreign language? And which challenges do AI algorithms bring about for learners and teachers?
Welcome to part 1 of a series of posts exploring the impact of artificial intelligence in language learning. Let’s dive in!
AI in Modern Language Education
The AI sector expanded as never before, especially after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Its impacts spread throughout most fields and sectors.
Besides, the concept of user experience has developed and grown in importance. As such, most learning experiences emphasize convenience along with efficacy and engagement. User focus now decides which tools are most popular among consumers and dictates how companies apply AI.
Online schools offer interactive exercises and create chatbots to answer common queries. Soon, as AI technology advances, international collaborative learning experiences might become the norm.
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Transforming Traditional Teaching Methods
Traditional language teaching methods have taken a revolutionary turn with AI’s intervention. Its benefits are notorious, and its application will continue molding the evolution of education techniques worldwide.
Fewer language learners are opting for taking lessons in a classroom. Learners are avoiding studying textbooks, memorizing grammar, and attending lectures. Boring teaching techniques have been cast aside to allow room for a different approach to language instruction.
The new learning experience considers students’ individual learning styles. It directs them toward their goals and approaches their difficulties. Language education methods now incorporate techniques to engage learners and foster better results.
Additionally, technology keeps receiving updates. Machine translation and natural language processing are two branches of AI in language learning. They bring about incredible features such as speech recognition and instant feedback. Their application opens new doors of opportunity for organizations, teachers, and students alike.
AI in Language Learning Apps and Tools
AI engages learners, which makes it ideal for language learning apps like Duolingo or Memrise. Through artificial intelligence, these platforms offer more immersive exercises that meet student needs. They also enlarge their audiences by reaching more people and teaching various languages.
This way, companies emphasize interactivity, inclusivity, and personalization. As you see, AI has already changed the way people choose to learn languages today and will continue to do so.
Artificial Intelligence in English Language Learning
English is simultaneously one of the most spoken and the most studied language worldwide. Hence, its learning process was one of the first impacted by AI systems. With the possibilities brought on by such programs, people who study EFL (English as a Foreign Language) learn better and faster.
Collaborative learning experiences connect students regardless of their location and mother tongue. Other tools link them to native speakers or allow them to practice speaking by themselves and provide real-time feedback.
The results have been more than positive. For example, note a study published in 2023 that focused on Chinese students who learned EFL. Those who used AI benefited from personalized feedback. The software delivered optimized experiences based on their learning styles.
As a result, their English skills improved more than those of the learners who followed the traditional methods. Besides enhancing their speaking abilities, they also had better levels of self-regulation.
What Are The Benefits of AI For Language Acquisition?
AI still shows many limitations in cultural aspects. Deep awareness and connection to a different culture are only possible through real human interaction. Yet, the technology continues developing. Thus, it also improves in conveying the knowledge necessary for students to immerse themselves in a foreign tongue. Here are five worthwhile advantages:
Personalization
Students benefit from a tailored learning process that weighs in their goals, strengths, and weaknesses. AI software delivers a unique experience and personalized feedback. Many saw positive results in using a popular language-learning app or program in their routines.
An AI solution considers your genuine interest in studying a new language. It adapts to your learning style and offers feedback according to your goals.
Cost-effectiveness
AI tools are more cost-effective than traditional methods. With a language learning app or platform, learners have less need for human tutors. Additionally, the same tool allows teachers and organizations to support many more students.
This way, AI systems improve the learning experience and reduce costs. These benefits enlarge the target audiences of the companies using the technology. It becomes both more accessible and profitable.
Immersion
Immersion is one of the driving factors for language learning success. Through virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), students can benefit from it without physically moving. They can interact with the bots naturally. This way, they practice speaking in real-life contexts while receiving real-time feedback.
Cultural Awareness
When you learn a new language, you also explore a new culture. It involves a deeper understanding of how people think and learning how to correspond and connect to that way of thinking.
These branches of AI technology can also transport students to new environments. They can recreate existing scenarios and landscapes, mimicking foreign locations. These features go behind learning languages to promote cultural understanding. Experiences become more comprehensive with even more added value.
Flexibility
Flexibility is a stellar advantage of AI in language learning. Users can access study content anytime, anywhere. Regardless of the device, they benefit from the same learning experience. Additionally, most platforms using the technology are self-paced, easily adapting to their routines.
These features also make for more productive study sessions. Students are less afraid of making mistakes when speaking to a bot than a native speaker. They learn when they feel motivated and apply new knowledge on the spot. Finally, real-time feedback helps correct mistakes almost instantly and boosts their language proficiency.
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The Issues of AI-powered Language Learning
AI is revolutionizing language learning as we know it. It makes reaching linguistic proficiency more personalized, cost-effective, and accessible than ever. Still, like all other fields, it comes with negative aspects. As more users embrace it, whether to answer emails or learn languages, many are still concerned about its impacts. Consider three primary issues:
The Cultural Aspects of Language
Each language includes specific national or regional peculiarities as part of its culture. Idiomatic expressions and gestures allow learners to interact naturally with native speakers.
However, AI still struggles to capture and include these features in learning experiences. Bots usually use standardized language varieties as a base. They also often rely on context and user experience. Thus, using an expression such as Que bronca! (What a nuisance!) in an unfamiliar context can lead machine translation to change its meaning to What a scolding!
Non-verbal communication is another aspect of language that requires human intervention. After all, the same motion can adopt different meanings depending on the context of a conversation. Additionally, humans do not reproduce facial expressions and gestures exactly the same way every time.
Counterbalancing Technology with Human Interaction
Future trends indicate a growth in the uses and applications of AI in language learning processes. Through these tools, learners develop their language skills as never before. Still, it is vital to remember that the ultimate goal of language learning is communication with other human beings.
You might learn a new language to work in a new field or expand your business. You might want to visit another country or grow your speaking abilities. Of course, many learn coding languages to develop new software and create better tools. But the truth is that most people need to connect to other people, not just to machines.
Thus, AI-powered language learning always requires some equilibrium. It needs human interaction to complement it. Until now, some tools can generate human language, but nothing replaces this connection.
Interactions and relationships with other humans add meaning to your learning process. They bring an emotional component, helping you create a bond with the language, culture, and people you are discovering.
Besides, having a double strategy involving AI and human interaction allows you to prevent dependency. Instead, you will develop the needed skills and qualities to become a confident, adaptable, and fluent speaker.
Data Collection, Privacy, and Security
In recent years, most people have grown accustomed to hearing terms like data collection, privacy, and security. Personal data is now one of the most valuable assets out there. It can be worth up to hundreds of dollars a month, depending on factors like type, volume, and credibility.
The business of trading data has led to the creation of specific laws and regulations that aim to protect users. Still, this aspect has become a concern among language learners who might consider opting for AI-powered tools.
The only way to build individual experiences is by collecting user information. Moreover, systems that include AI in language learning require considerable amounts of information. The data collected serves as training for the bots.
Machine learning is the AI and computer science field behind this training. It relies on user queries and personal information to improve performance. Hence, the bots compile and analyze details that enable them to tailor lessons and exercises.
Unfortunately, organizations are yet unable to ensure a high degree of user data safety and privacy. The requests for more transparency in data collection, storage, and handling have been many and constant. Even so, compromises have been challenging, and worries about this subject continue to arise.
A Look Into The AI-powered Language Learning Process
Like other areas, teaching and learning foreign languages are feeling the impact of changes brought on by generative AI. These tools come with countless benefits. They provide more personalized learning experiences, motivate learners, and make language learning accessible.
Still, an AI system is not foolproof. Machine learning algorithms collect much personal information. Thus, concerns with data privacy and user security are valid and growing. These issues stop many from relying on apps and programs to learn their target language.
How about you? Do you use AI learning tools to support your studies? Which do you like best? And what are your most significant concerns about using artificial intelligence to learn a new language? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below!
This post was part 1 of a series of articles on the implications of using artificial intelligence in language learning. Part 2 will focus on AI-powered language-learning tools. You will explore the possibilities they bring and discover how you can use them to improve your language skills.
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