HowAI is used in language learning?

 

I’m quite fascinated by the human ability to learn language. In my recent article I had discussed how experiments are being conducted and AI models are being trained to understand early language acquisition in humans and whether machines can mimic it. I’m a neuroscience enthusiast and keep reading about neuroplasticity, our brain’s ability to change and adapt to our environment. Neuroscientists believe that neuroplasticity plays an important role in preventing cognitive decline and reduces the risk of dementia. Researchers say that one factor that promotes neuroplasticity is learning anything new, say for example, learning a new language. I’m myself learning Spanish and have been using the language learning app Duolingo for some time now! My interests in the fields of neuroscience and AI always want me to draw a parallel between the two fields and understand how one takes inspiration from the other.

In the last article we saw how AI takes inspiration from neuroscience in understanding how early language acquisition happens in humans, today we will talk about how AI can be used in learning new languages. As an example, I’ll talk about how Duolingo, the language learning app, uses AI and principles of neuroscience to improve the language learning experience. This app is built on what scientists know about how we learn, why we’re motivated to learn, and why our brains crave new information. The app was introduced in 2012 and with the help of AI it has made learning a language an enjoyable experience for over 500 million learners all over the world. Let’s look at what aspects of AI are used by Duolingo.

Personalized learning

Duolingo created its AI model called BirdBrain to make learning more personal. It watches how you learn and changes lessons to suit you. BirdBrain guesses how you learn best, so every lesson feels just right. Even though lessons have an order, the AI picks exercises just for you. This keeps you interested and learning at your own level. Different models work together, with BirdBrain mostly choosing exercises that fit what you already know.

Curriculum design

Duolingo relies on natural-language-processing tools to support course content developers in refining the courses. It uses AI to generate various translations for sentences, allowing it to accept learners’ responses when there are multiple correct answers. Expert humans also have a part to play in exercise creation. Some types of exercises are difficult to get right by AI alone, so humans take the lead.

Listening exercises

Duolingo has listening exercises that are followed by in-lesson questions about listening. It’s difficult to understand any new language if you hear it from the natives. The app lets you take this experience. The lesson requires you to listen to a speech which is close to the native speaker’s speech. You are asked to give answers and your answers are corrected. Duolingo uses text-to-speech tech to create custom voices for each of the characters that populate the Duolingo world. The listening lessons are about these characters conversing in native Spanish.

Speaking exercises

Duolingo includes speaking exercises where learners are prompted to speak sentences aloud. AI is employed to assess their pronunciation accuracy. Additionally, if learners struggle with a word’s pronunciation, Duolingo’s character voices demonstrate the correct pronunciation in a native Spanish accent.

Writing exercises

Another fun activity is the short stories exercise. You listen to a story, then write a summary. You get immediate feedback on your writing, thanks to AI checking grammar and sentences. Using this virtual tutor, I never imagined I could write a short paragraph in Spanish. It was so exciting!

Explain my answer

Another AI enabled feature that’s been made available is called Explain My Answer. This lets users get an explanation about why an answer they have been given to a question may have been graded as correct or incorrect and receive a detailed, personalized explanation just as if they were sitting and talking to a human tutor.

Habit formation

Duolingo uses AI to help learners build a habit of learning. It looks at your past learning times and knows when you’re likely to practice Spanish for 5 minutes. It then gently reminds you at that time with a friendly green owl, encouraging you to “Keep Duo Happy!” by completing your lesson.

Smart learning

Duolingo uses AI to pick the right times for reviewing words you’ve learned before. Lessons are just challenging enough to keep you engaged without being too easy or too hard. This helps you learn without getting frustrated. To keep you motivated, Duolingo gives you different types of exercises based on what you’ve done well in the past and celebrates your progress with exciting surprises.

This example shows how combining AI and neuroscience can work together to improve learning experiences. AI and neuroscience working together opens up exciting possibilities across different areas. By borrowing ideas from how our brains work, AI can become smarter and more human-like. Also, AI can help scientists understand the brain better. This teamwork could revolutionize healthcare, technology, and even how we interact with machines. An exciting future lies ahead of us where human brain-computer interface, personalized treatments, improved mental healthcare all become possible thanks to this collaboration.