How AI can help you on your language journey.
I'm sure you all already know several language learning apps that help you learn a new language, such as Duolingo, Fluent Forever or Falou.
Translation has also reached a high level of perfection. Platforms such as DeepL and DeepL Write help you to strike the right tone and to maintain the right writing style, whether it's a scientific paper, a business email or simply a personal text message. But AI can do even more.
Programmes such as ChatGPT, Gemini or Copilot from Bing are familiar to everyone, but how to use them correctly for your own language acquisition is not yet. Above all, the prompt, i.e. the command that you enter in the text line, is decisive for the result that you receive later. Here are a few ideas:
AI as your personal waiter, work colleague, neighbour and ready to help you practice all the phrases you need for your next real-life conversation!
Before you start talking in your new language in real-life situations, you may want to familiarise yourself with and practise the most important phrases. You can do this by chatting on the platforms mentioned above.
It is important that you formulate your suggestion in as much detail as possible
assign a specific role to the platform (e.g. waiter) and
enter your current level of German (e.g. A1).
The AI can also explain individual words to you. But make sure that the AI does not translate new words into your source language and explains new words in your level of German and shows them in different contexts. This way you will learn even more new words and the different ways to use them in your conversations,
If you ask for grammatical explanations and receive sentences that are too complex and long, remind the AI to give the explanation in your German level: (e.g. Answer in German A1)
AI as your chatting partner and personal grammar teacher – it's the perfect combination!
This brings us to the next opportunity to use platforms like Copilot.
Perhaps you are currently attending a German course and would like to know whether you have done your homework correctly. Or maybe you are learning German on your own and would like to have your grammar exercises corrected and your mistakes explained. Now you no longer have to wait for your teacher's answer or for the next lesson to receive feedback.
Simply take a photo of your homework and upload it to Copilot. Indicate in your prompt that you want the sentences corrected and ask which grammatical phenomena you still need to practise or have words explained that you didn't understand.
AI can be your personal learning assistant regardless of time and place.
Get ready to have your vocabulary designed by AI!
Let's say you're learning new vocabulary about furniture. To make your vocabulary learning more varied, you can work with Microsoft Designer, for example. Simply enter the new vocabulary and have a matching picture created.
In the next step, you can describe the picture: der Tisch, das Sofa …
and the objects in more details: das Sofa ist blau/ das blaue Sofa
Practise your prepositions by explaining the position of the objects in the room: Das Regal ist links vom Tisch
You can then have the AI correct your picture description again.
However, the AI can only correct grammatical mistakes. It cannot tell you whether the shelter is actually on the right or left side of the table, because it cannot read pictures in that way.
Turn your German vocabulary into music
If you like to learn with the help of songs or are an auditory learner, then Suno could be the right choice for you. Simply enter the vocabulary you want to learn and the style of music. Suno will then create a song based on your input. Listen to the song and learn your new vocabulary while you go for a walk.
For example, in my A1 german course we had the topic of weather, month and seasons. Here is a pop song and a jazz song with more vocabulary to discover. Just give it a try!
Pop song
https://suno.com/song/6dfcf7ed-211b-47b0-9cb4-9c9ef9719464
These are great ways to make your learning journey more varied and exciting!
But learning a new language is first and foremost a social and emotional learning experience.
This means that once you've solidified your vocabulary and grammar with the help of AI, go outside and have real conversations to improve your German in the long term. If you are in Berlin and are looking to have conversations tailored to your learning level and interests, or you would like to have a conversation regardless of your location, book a German lesson online or in person and I will help you take your German to the next level.
