In case you didn’t know, Duolingo is an app for smartphones/tablets that teaches users a new language. Its methodology has been pretty straightforward, but as is the case with all languages, using it and applying it in your daily life is the best way to ingrain all that knowledge in you, and that’s what Duolingo is trying to do in its latest update.The company has recently introduced chatbots to its app which will allow users to have AI-powered conversations in different languages. Basically you’ll be able to hold a conversation with a bot in the language you’re trying to learn, which will hopefully help with the learning process. Right now the bots only support French, Spanish, and German, but the company says support for more languages will arrive soon.
It also seems that it is limited to the iOS app for now, and will require an internet connection, so no offline studying if that’s what you were hoping. Each of the bots also comes with a personality of their own which we guess could be useful and contextual. There is also a “help my reply” button that offers suggestions on how to respond.
According to Duolingo CEO and co-founder Luis von Ahn, “One of the main reasons people learn languages is to have conversations. Students master vocabulary and comprehension skills with Duolingo, but coming up with things to say in real-life situations remains daunting. Bots offer a sophisticated and effective answer to that need.”
Filed in . Read more about AI (Artificial Intelligence), Apps, Duolingo and Education.