\n<\/p>\n
In contrast, one of the specific language-learning chatbots is LangAI, launched in March by Federico Ruiz Cassarino. Mr Ruiz Cassarino drew on his own experiences of learning English after moving from Uruguay to the UK. His English skills improved dramatically from speaking every day, compared to more academic methods. He’s now using his own app to work on his Italian.<\/p>\n
Many people get self-conscious about making mistakes in a language they barely speak, even to a tutor, Mr Ruiz Cassarino notes. But a chatbot won’t judge you. And the new wave of generative AI is so advanced that it can cultivate AI penpals, which is how he sees his product.<\/p>\n
Rather than sticking to boring pre-scripted roleplays, with current AI “you can speak about things that are interesting to you, which makes it feel like not as much of a chore to learn”.<\/p>\n
While many language learners are using popular chatbots like ChatGPT and Bard to practice, Mr Ruiz Cassarino believes that specific language-acquisition apps like his are useful.<\/p>\n
“We worked really hard to make this well tailored for somebody who wants to learn languages,” he says. The team customised LangAI’s user interface to match users’ vocabulary levels, added the ability to make corrections during a conversation, and enabled the conversion of speech to text.<\/p>\n
According to Mr Ruiz Cassarino, they’re seeing some impressive retention numbers for an education app. Of users who try the app for around 10 minutes, roughly 45% will still be using it a month later. They’re now focused on building the subscriber base of people willing to pay for unlimited use. <\/p>\n
Related to that, they’re planning advancements like tracking of improved skills and the ability to personalise the chatbot’s tone and personality (perhaps even to practise a language while conversing with historical figures).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n