Duolingo recently expanded its language learning app to include functions that make it possible to have intuitive and realistic conversations using generative AI (see also testing on heise+). and a competitor too delirium wants to integrate an AI speaking trainer into its app by the end of the year, as was learned online in an interview with Stephanie Wright, director of educational strategy at the Berlin company (see below). While Duolingo’s playful approach relies on an animated comic character with a sarcastic tone, Babbel’s role comes across as more calm and professional, with the title of “Conversational Coach,” according to the app.
Advertisement
Babbel wants to introduce Conversation Coach as part of the existing subscription, i.e. at no extra charge. It remains to be seen whether it remains this way in the long term. After all, like practically all providers of AI speech trainers, the company relies on OpenAI technology – which comes at a cost. Typical monthly prices for AI speech trainers currently range between 10 and 40 euros. Duolingo only allows video calls with Lily with the most expensive “Max” subscription.
This is not Babbel’s first foray into artificial intelligence: in late 2023, the company introduced “everyday conversations,” in which the AI evaluates only pronunciation. To do this, you repeat the dialogue given about situations like “returning clothes to the store.”
To compensate for the lack of speaking training in the app, Babbel has been offering online courses with real teachers for some time now – and has also recently expanded its offering, which can be accessed around the clock with a subscription. Could: Additionally the group lessons tested from last year are now also available for individual lessons. According to Wright, AI functions will not replace live courses, but will complement them.
Open beta for all customers
A beta of Conversation Coach is currently running for the target language Spanish in combination with the source language English, in which all Babbel customers with an Android smartphone can participate. The following video shows how to make these settings.
Stephanie Wright, Director of Educational Strategy @Babel
(Image: Babbel)
We spoke to Stephanie Wright, director of educational strategy at Babbel, about Conversation Coach, which works with generative AI.
heise online: Babbel already uses AI in its apps. For example, it can check and evaluate the user’s pronunciation. But they don’t have an AI language training feature – unlike your competitor Duolingo, which has launched such an offering. So can we expect an AI language trainer for the Babbel app or are you at least interested in it?
Stephanie Wright: The short answer is: yes, absolutely. One of our big goals for the end of this year is to make this “conversation coach,” as we call it internally, available to all of our users. At the moment we are offering it to a specific class, and we are specifically testing this feature with a group of Spanish English language learners. If you have an Android device and your learning combination is Spanish for English speakers, you can already try the beta version.
Now it is easier than ever to create such a bot. Any of us can do this in just a few minutes using ChatGPT. It is more difficult to ensure that it helps someone didactically and furthers their own learning success. Otherwise it will just be back and forth and you have to be able to trust the tool. So that’s what we did with smaller segments to gain confidence in the tool. And to find out how it can help our customers.
One argument for AI language trainers is that you can use them around the clock. But Babbel’s online courses also offer nearly 24/7 service — and I still have a human counterpart I can talk to. How does that fit together? Do I have to opt in as a customer or will both be offered in one package?
We have thought about this too and worked on it a lot – from the strategic element to what we are building now. And our focus is on getting people from the beginning to the point where they’re just interacting with an app and certainly not to the point where they’re talking to a human being. We see AI language trainers as the last step before you can truly feel confident talking to a human.
And then of course you can switch between these two types, because speaking is one of the hardest skills you have to master when learning a language. And for many people the fear is so great that they don’t even try. So this is the main problem that stops people from taking live classes. It’s the fear of the question “Am I good enough?” or “Am I really ready?”, “How will I know what will happen?”. So a “conversation coach” will start before this point to make people feel ready to take on this challenge and accompany them throughout the exercise. And they can do it whenever they want, after all, AI doesn’t have to sleep.
Is AI interesting to Babbel also for economic reasons? Finally, offering online classes also means you have personnel costs. They have to deal with problems in selection processes, training of staff and conduct of classes.
Since, in our view, the ultimate goal of learning success is to enable people to talk to people, we do not intend to make the human element disappear. And so we are taking steps to ensure that it is always protected in some way or the other. We’re using AI and more automated operations to provide more value to learners and help them get there faster, so we’d definitely be open to that. In general, we have no plans to replace humans with AI.
Some people will now say: “I don’t need to learn a foreign language anymore because I have apps on my phone that translate everything for me.”
It’s a common misconception that using DeepL or Google Translate is the same as learning a language. It is not so at all. Learning second languages is related to neuroplasticity, the remodeling of neuronal structures depending on their activity. So the brain really changes when you learn a language. And you get to the point where you can communicate with another human being in that language. So that’s what we’re focusing on. We want to give this type of experience to people.
If people have a specific need, for example if they are lost in a new city and need to find their way to the nearest railway station, they will use such apps. And then they make perfect sense to them. But for those who want to discover a new culture, the need to learn a second language still remains. And motivated learners will still look for ways to do so. We are confident that there is still a huge market for language learning. Language learning will not become obsolete.
Note: The interview was conducted in English.
(Private)
