Drops, Clozemaster, Busuu, Rosetta Stone… I’ve tried dozens of language apps, and spent hundreds of pounds trying to learn another language.
I’ve got lifetime access to Babbel, and climbed the Duolingo leagues obsessively, ping-ponging between first and second on Diamond with my scoreboard nemesis (you’ll never take the top spot, SaltedFish!)
But now it could be time to delete my folder of apps and just stick to good old Google Translate.
At the end of August, Google released a beta feature called Practice, allowing users to have realtime conversations and practice their listening skills.
When I heard about it, I had the kind of excitement you more commonly see for new trainers launches, or Oasis tickets.
Although artificial intelligence has promised to redefine language learning for years, it’s never yet hooked me.
Yes, you can just chat in another language with ChatGPT. And if you just want to have a natural conversation, it’s probably your best bet.
Its advanced voice mode lets you just open a conversation and chat back and forth, without constantly pressing play and record. And it understands my broken attempts at speaking very well, even if my pronounciation is off, something Google’s Gemini chatbot failed at when I tried the same (it constantly thought I was talking about nonsense such as ‘October slow urine’).
But this is very freeform; I like that Google Translate’s gamified offering teaches words on a theme first, giving simple tasks to complete, and collating all the words I learn.
Duolingo has also invested heavily in AI, with a roleplay option for premium users, but I said goodbye to that guilt-tripping owl after ‘completing’ my chosen language, and am not ready to have him resurrected. I get why some prefer its cutesy lessons-style format, but why would I pay, if I can access similar features for free on apps I already use all the time?
I’m sure there will soon be an explosion of opportunities for AI in language learning, to the point we just download Japanese to our brain chip or whatever. You can already get live translation in your headphones, for example.
But so far, Google’s new feature is what I’ve been waiting for as a language learner.
You can create your own scenarios or pick one from a list, setting your own difficulty level, earning three hearts a day for doing enough exercises.
A language app if you’re not richer than the King
Most enticingly, it is free, at least for now.
Given that most language apps want you to pay £8 a month, £60 a year, or even more, this is a big draw.
A year or so ago I downloaded AI language app Jumpspeak that lets users have real-time conversations, but found it really disappointing.
Not only was it extortionately priced (it’s still £79.99 per year), but the chats were so stilted, I felt the app was trying to subtly tell me to go away. I didn’t keep using it after my free trial ended.
The app does seem to have improved since then, but it still mishears many words I’m pretty sure I pronounced coherently.
Google’s beta Practice feature, currently available on its iOS and Android apps, feels like something I’ll use without getting constantly frustrated. Presumably, Gemini (which powers it) can comprehend things better in these limited scenarios, though it does still mishear things. I would like the option to see my words appear as I speak them, so I can flag if it has heard incorrectly.
At the moment, Practice only supports French and Spanish for English speakers, but with the app allowing translation for 243 languages, there’s massive scope for it to expand.
There’s another new feature too
As well as the speaking opportunity, Google now makes it easier to translate a conversation in real time, without constantly having to change the language settings.
Good for me, given that with relatives who don’t speak English, I use the app almost every day.
While it’s exciting for a language learner, people teaching languages may be more apprehensive about where this is all going.
Despite being a dedicated app user, none of them beat in person interactions with a human teacher, where you can talk about culture and build a relationship, as well as just learn a load of words.
That’s a very different type of experience to a language app, which can be used in a more bitesize way, on your commute or while waiting for pasta to cook.
There are obvious limitations to Google’s new language learning feature: it’s designed for speaking and listening practice, rather than teaching you the basics in the first place. In its current form, it might get repetitive after a while.
For an overall course teaching grammar too with traditional modules, my favourite app is still Babbel, although I’ve run out of road there with the language I most want to learn, as it only goes to A2 level.
While how much artificial intelligence is really going to take over our lives is debateable, with language learning it’s a no brainer.
You have a conversation partner who is always in the same time zone, and doesn’t charge you £25 an hour.
Just don’t give up on people completely. They’re why you want to learn the language in the first place, after all.
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