Artificial intelligence is evolving rapidly, changing how we use the internet and create content. And every day that passes, brand new tools emerge that push these boundaries even further.
But one of AI’s most exciting ways to shake things up is how we learn new content, including languages. Students and teachers now use AI tools like ChatGPT to revolutionise language learning by creating new resources, translating text, and helping people practise vocab in real time.
This article will show you how to use ChatGPT to learn a new language. You’ll also learn how to use AI tools safely so that you don’t compromise your own security.
Six ways ChatGPT can help you learn a language
ChatGPT is a language model that OpenAI has developed that can understand prompts and respond naturally. Already, it’s a great language tool for translating pieces of text instantaneously.
Below are six easy ways you can use ChatGPT to learn a new language online:
1. Learning brand new vocabulary
Learning new vocabulary is an essential building block to learning a language. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned linguist, ChatGPT has the tools and knowledge to help expand your phrases in seconds.
Ask the chatbot for a vocabulary list around a topic, such as ‘Food.’ ChatGPT will generate an expansive list of relevant vocabulary for you. Too easy? Ask for more complex or niche vocabulary or phrases to challenge yourself.
In this way, ChatGPT is like a living dictionary, which can give you the words to learn and organise them into categories, topics, and themes.
2. Checking for mistakes in your work—and asking for explanations
People might hesitate to ditch a formal type of teaching because they don’t think they’ll have their work corrected or complex concepts won’t be explained.
ChatGPT can not only check your work for mistakes, but you can prompt it at any stage to explain the reasoning behind the corrections. It can show you what is wrong with your sentences and offer solutions for improving your coherence.
No need to wait for next week’s class to receive your corrections—everything is completed in real-time, offering you the maximum learning time possible to work on your sentences.
3. Fun exercises and ways to learn
Research has shown that language games can help ‘energise’ learning and provide enjoyment, entertainment, and motivation. ChatGPT can be used to create and manage a variety of language games for you to enjoy and learn from.
For example, you can ask ChatGPT to devise language quizzes or fun interactive games like ’20 Questions’, word association, and lots more, giving you a break from rote learning and helping increase your motivation and confidence when using new vocabulary
4. Personalised conversations to suit all needs
As we’ve said, one of ChatGPT’s greatest strengths is its conversational tone. You can respond to prompts and receive replies that look and read like they came from an actual person.
This conversational tone can help you practise speaking as you’ll gradually build your confidence. Want to practise formal language? Or concentrate on introducing yourself to strangers? Order food at a restaurant? All you have to do is ask.
These highly personalised learning experiences can help you practise words you plan on using, allowing you to put what you’ve learned into practice immediately.
5. Adaptive lessons help motivate you
One of the difficulties with learning a language online is that people often struggle to keep motivated. After all, you might not have a lot of opportunities to practise vocabulary or teacher interactions to receive feedback promptly.
ChatGPT can change this entirely, providing instant feedback at any stage of your learning. There is no need to wait to raise your hand—just ask questions and receive answers.
If you don’t understand a concept, ask it to rephrase and simplify the answers. You can adjust the level of lessons to suit your needs, so you’ll always experience some degree of success with every session.
6. Huge choice of languages
Learning a new language is an exciting thing to do. But sometimes, we are restricted in what we can learn by the teachers or classes that are near us.
ChatGPT is trained on texts across a multitude of languages and, as such, is constantly developing and improving its fluency. The tool can detect, translate, and respond in more than 95 languages, including English, Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Japanese, Italian, Dutch, and Portuguese. That gives you a lot of freedom in what language you can start learning online.
Ensure your privacy when online
As exciting as it is to learn a new language from artificial intelligence, there are some privacy concerns you need to address when using this technology.
After all, you may be giving the chatbot a lot of personal information in your prompts. Criminals can use this information to attack you.
One of the best ways of protecting yourself is by using a virtual private network (VPN). This tool encrypts your internet connection, preventing anyone from spying on your online activity and seeing what you’re typing into ChatGPT. It can also help you to block malware
This way, you can focus on learning new languages without having to worry about the online dangers that ChatGPT may entail.
