AI Learning

So continuing the Spanish adventure - a while ago I dove into AI apps that have specifically targeted components for language learning (eg not chatGPT cause I'm too lazy for that ;).  I've recently been getting a lot of emails about updates to some of the options that, when I had a lesson cancelled today but still wanted to practice talking, encouraged me to go do some digging.    And my top three remain the same as previously but I have to say, one has made significant changes.

We'll start with TalkPal - which is an app I have on my phone with a year long subscription that I probably won't renew.  This one was top of the line when I first investigate and is still good - it allows for at least some back and forth and has some semi-scripted conversations that are certainly helpful to practice scenarios, as well as debate mode and the ability to chat with historical (or fictional) characters which is moderately entertaining.  My issue with it is the updates seem to be mostly cosmetic rather than functional; the advice isn't improving, you have to hit record every time (okay that's being really picky but it does take away from conversation) and it's been a long time since any new debates, conversations, etc seem to have been introduced.  Maybe coming soon?  Idk.  But also frustrating is the time delay - if you say more than a few words or pause for too long in the middle trying to think of what you're going to say, it can take more than a minute to send at which point, I've already moved on to other things ;)

TeacherAI I still have hope for and they currently have a 3-day free trial.  They are updating All The Time (I know cause I get emails - that I signed up for, not spam) but I really have issue with giving a credit card for a free trial (not that I won't do it, but I resent having to) and so I haven't looked at the latest version because I haven't seen notice of some of the updates I was hoping for.  I DO think they have excellent language learning feedback - far better than TalkPal that is really just conversation practice.  But app (website not app actually) is clunky and screen shots suggest that hasn't changed, and I'm not super-convinced the other things I was waiting for have been updated.   So I passed on that one.  It MIGHT be a superstar by now, but I'm not convinced.

So the one that won this time was Langua - this one I didn't even play with last time because it was brand new and very expensive.   However, I got an email (again - signed up for) with a significant discount.  AND an *actually* free trial.  Super short, but no CC required.   Also, this is the platform I take lessons from (one of the only one that actually interviews their instructors) and having tried many many many language lesson platforms over the years, I'd really like these guys to stay in business so I would like to support them when it makes sense.    I was SUPER impressed by their AI bot, even on my very short trial, so I sucked it up and got myself a year subscription (admittedly significantly discounted but still a lot more than the FREE I've been paying till now which basically includes everything of theirs that I'd use except AI).

Anyways - the first thing that made me think this was going to be a fun adventure was the personality expressed in one of the first options in the setup:

Edited on Day 2 to add it does occasionally hallucinate,
but no worse than my voice-to-text on my phone does and that's in English

But the best part wasn't included in their advertising (I sent them a message they should fix that!) - after my session I got an option to "receive feedback" that was so incredibly useful it'll keep me going just for that.

So I'm writing this on the basis of exactly one use but things that I found useful as an intermediate learner:

- you can choose whether or not you also want to be able to read what the AI is saying.  And if you select no and regret it part-way through, you can click on the blanked-out dialog box, it will fill in the box for just that statement.  I absolutely love this, and it was one of my big frustrations with early versions of TeacherAI that you couldn't have conversation-only.   TalkPal has it only for one area (phone calls) not for any of the debates etc.

- there is also an option to have it translate what the AI said into English (or whatever your starting language is presumably; you set current language and target language before you start). 

- for Spanish I had the option of AIs from several different countries (important for accent, vocabulary, and because there are certain core structures that are different in Spain from everywhere in Latin America)

- I also had the option of whether I wanted it to include slang (I haven't tried this one yet, but I'm looking forward to it :)

- after I spoke it wrote what I said and the conversation continued without pause.  However, I could at any point go back to something I said and get it to identify errors (literally one click), and if I didn't understand those errors it would give a bit of an explanation and an example of how it could be rewritten.   As someone whose grammar knowledge far exceeds their speaking ability, this was super helpful to me, because as soon as I see what's wrong or what it should be I know enough to understand why.   IF, however, you were a stronger speaker than grammar-nerd, this might be super frustrating and would be a good time to have a real-life teacher waiting in the wings to ask follow up questions of.   That being said, there's also a section of the AI about "ask a grammar question" so in lieu of a real person, that's where I'd go next.  But I haven't tested that out yet.  It's clunky to me to have to leave the conversation to understand something - I can see it getting there, but it's not there yet.

- However, to be fair, I didn't ask it.   I say this because at one point the casual chat, it asked me a direct question in which there was a critical word I didn't know (aka without knowing that word the sentence itself had no meaning); I asked them to explain it to me, which they did - in Spanish, and the conversation was able to continue after that as though I hadn't interrupted it.  So that was awesome - worked just as it does in my lessons.   This was also before I figured out I could cheat and translate what it had said to English, but it's a far better learning tool to ask it to explain to me so I'm going to forget I know that option ;)

- And, if you DO leave the conversation, you have the option of resuming it in the same place when you return, which is excellent.

- only other mild frustration was that one correction changed the meaning of what I was trying to say.   That was not something I was going to debate with a computer so I took a screen shot so I could check later.  Google agreed that what I wrote was the correct translation for what I wanted to say.  But despite common belief, Google doesn't know everything so I also took it to my human teacher (who also presumably doesn't know everything but I trust him more than Google when it comes to accurately translating common usage statements between Spanish and English lol) and he also confirmed I'd said it correctly.  So win for me, but may be mildly aggravating if it happens often or if it derails conversations.

- the first chat I did (talk about anything) was pretty good at staying with the conversation and it followed a natural trend that didn't forget TOO soon what we were talking about.  I'll test a longer one in the next few days to see how long before it starts annoying me for not remembering basic details.  That was my biggest frustration with TeacherAI the first time I tried it and I was ready to throw the machine out the window.   The second chat I did was under the "debates" category about Remote Working (those who know... ;)) this one appeared to flow naturally and was not repeating at all, but definitely felt a little more scripted.

- I told it I was an intermediate speaker and I'd say the whole thing was level appropriate.  I obv haven't tested how that might change if I tell it I'm a beginner or advanced.   

So yeah, I'm very excited about this one, but the follow up PDF feedback summary was HUGELY valuable to me and I didn't really see that that was going to be included when I signed up.  It identified strengths and weaknesses (which align to feedback from my real-life teachers so I tend to believe it) which was very cool to see.

I found this useful and it just appeared after I ended the conversation

It also included the script of anything that I said that had errors along with the correction, explanation for the correction, and potential alternative suggestions (regardless of whether I had clicked into these in the chat), and, interestingly, a "cultural note" at the bottom about using formal language (since this was potentially a work-related discussion; I didn't take it that way - more like talking about work than talking to people I work with, but I appreciated that they highlighted it either way).

"Cultural Tip

In Spanish-speaking countries, especially in professional settings, it's common to use more formal language and address people using "usted" instead of "tú". While your conversation seemed casual, in a real work environment, you might need to adjust your language to be more formal, particularly when speaking with superiors or clients."

So yeah - that's my summary of day one with my new toy.  It's definitely still early tech, but I was really super-impressed.