There are many reasons to learn a foreign language, such as for school, work, travel, or just personal development. The learning process can take a while and it can also be tricky, especially if you don’t live where the language is used regularly. However, a lot of effort has been put into developing or leveraging existing technologies to help ease this process.
If you want to learn the language effectively, having all the tools at your disposal is essential. This article explains how innovative technologies have been used to improve foreign language learning.
Here are five examples of how technology can impact the way we learn a language:
- Adding visuals to the learning experience.
- Creating personalized learning.
- Mobile learning.
- Engaging users.
- Communicating with other learners.
We will further discuss these examples below, so stay tuned!
Adding Visuals to the learning experience
Learning a new language is a varying experience for different people. Reading the texts without any visual aid can be boring, especially if you’re just learning it to pass a class. However, a bit of visual aid can significantly impact how well you enjoy your learning process. For instance, a video that shows the native speakers of a language interacting can help give learners the needed effect of immersion into the native speaker’s environment. This way, the average learning time for a student could also be reduced.
Another benefit of adding visuals is that certain facial expressions can be captured as part of the learning process. For instance, you would probably find it difficult to tell if a character was being sarcastic unless you could see their body movement. Also, students are more likely to remain focused for more extended periods.
Creating personalized learning
Different people have their approaches to how they learn things, including languages. In a foreign language class that includes many people, it can be hard to imagine how one teacher will be able to tend to the specific needs of each student. While some teachers might try, overall, it can be very tedious. However, through the power of artificial intelligence, it’s possible to do so now. Students that are learning a new language can have a learning assistant trained to identify where they are having challenges and thus recommend additional materials and resources that could help. Both teachers and students can benefit from such a technology as it would lead to more productive interactions in class.
Mobile learning
There are times when simply studying in class isn’t enough. With students’ busy schedules, it can be hard to find the time to sit down and dedicate the needed time to learn a new language. In addition, essay assignments and school subjects can get in the way. However, these two challenges have simple solutions. For the first problem, you can always get free essays online for students, so your essay grades will remain up. While for the second challenge of finding a suitable place to learn, you can use mobile learning through a phone or a tablet.
If you’re going for a morning jog or perhaps walking back home, you can always use your mobile device and headphones to listen to your favorite podcast in the language you’re learning. Also, there are mobile language apps that you can download to help you practice on the go, whether you’re a student or working in the industry.
Engaging users
One of the significant advantages language classes had over learning from a book or a website was the feedback you would get from an experienced tutor. Through natural language processing (NLP) models, we’re now able to have speech-to-text models that will prompt users to say a particular word, phrase, or sentence out loud as they are trying to learn. Then, depending on how learners do, they are either given a point or not for their effort.
Sometimes, the NLP model can even determine which word you pronounced wrong, allowing you to identify areas you need to work on. While the technology hasn’t reached the level where it can replace translation services or a real tutor, it still does an excellent job for teaching and learning purposes. Also, the fact that the student can win points for correct pronunciations and that their input is needed means that students become more engaged.
Communicating with other learners
When learning anything new and challenging for the first time, it can help to know that you aren’t alone in your struggle. Technology has made it easy for students worldwide to communicate efficiently. For example, today, most language learning apps have forums where students can share their insights and challenges with learning a particular language. This is a great way to help learners to get some practice and motivate them to continue learning.
Final Thoughts
A foreign language can improve your cognitive abilities and open you to many opportunities. This is why many schools today often encourage students to learn at least one language as part of their curriculum. Technology also plays a significant role in making this possible through visuals and making learning more accessible through mobile devices. We should expect even more technological breakthroughs in foreign language learning if the current trends continue.
Author’s Bio
Christian Duke is a language teacher and an experienced writer. As a teacher that cares for his students, he understands the benefits of using every tool to your advantage. In his spare time, Christian coaches the local football team.
