Learning languages: Babbel app gets AI language trainer

Duolingo recently expanded its language learning app to include functions that make it possible to hold spontaneous and realistic conversations using generative AI (see also review at heise+). And competitor Babbel also wants to integrate an AI language trainer into its app by the end of the year, as heise online found out in an interview with Stephanie Wright, Director Educational Strategy at the Berlin-based company (see below). While Duolingo uses an animated cartoon character with an ironic undertone in line with its playful approach, Babbel's function with the working title "Conversational Coach" is more sober and professional, in keeping with the app.

Babbel wants to launch the Conversation Coach as part of the current subscription, i.e. at no extra charge. Whether this will remain the case in the long term remains to be seen. After all, like practically all providers of AI language coaches, the company relies on OpenAI technology –, which incurs costs. The usual monthly prices for AI voice trainers are currently between 10 and 40 euros. Duolingo also only enables video calls with Lilli in the most expensive "Max" subscription.

This is not Babbel's first foray into the field of artificial intelligence: at the end of 2023, the company introduced "everyday conversations", in which the AI only evaluates pronunciation. To do this, it repeats predefined dialogs for situations such as "Returning clothes in a store".

To make up for the lack of speech training in the app, Babbel has been offering online courses with real teachers at – for some time and recently even expanded its offering, which can be used around the clock with a subscription: In addition to the group lessons tested by c't last year, individual lessons are now also available. According to Wright, the AI functions will not replace the live courses, but rather supplement them.

Open beta for all customers

A beta of the 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.

Empfohlener redaktioneller Inhalt

Mit Ihrer Zustimmmung wird hier ein externes Video (Kaltura Inc.) geladen.

Videos immer laden Video jetzt laden

Ich bin damit einverstanden, dass mir externe Inhalte angezeigt werden. Damit können personenbezogene Daten an Drittplattformen (Kaltura Inc.) übermittelt werden. Mehr dazu in unserer Datenschutzerklärung.

We spoke to Stephanie Wright, Director Educational Strategy at Babbel, about the Converation Coach, which works with generative AI.

heise online: Babbel already uses AI in its app. For example, it can check and evaluate the user's pronunciation. But you don't have an AI language training function –, unlike your competitor Duolingo, which has launched such a service. 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 Coaches", as we call it internally, available to all our users. We're offering it to a specific segment at the moment, and we're testing the feature specifically with the group who are English speakers learning Spanish. If you have an Android device and your learning combination is Spanish for English speakers, you can already try out the beta version.

Now it's easier than ever to create a bot like this. Any of us can do it in a few minutes with ChatGPT. What's harder is making sure it helps someone didactically and drives their own learning success. Otherwise it just becomes a back and forth. And you have to be able to trust the tool. So that's what we did with the smaller segment, to gain confidence in the tool itself. And to investigate how it can help our customers.

One argument in favor of AI language trainers is that you can use them around the clock. But Babbel's online courses also offer this round-the-clock service – and I still have a human counterpart to talk to. How does that fit together? Do I have to choose as a customer or are both offered in one package?

We have also thought about this and worked a lot on it – from the strategic element to what we are building now. And we focus on getting people from the beginning, where they are just interacting with an app and are not sure, to the point where they are talking to a human. We see the AI language trainer as the last step before you really feel confident to speak to a human.

And then, of course, you can switch between the two, because speaking is the most difficult skill to master when learning a language. And for many people, the fear is so great that they don't even try. So that's the main problem that stops people from attending live courses. It's the fear of the question "Am I good enough?" or "Am I really ready?", "How do I know what's going to happen?". So the "Conversation Coach" would start before this point to make people feel that they are ready to face this challenge and accompany them while practicing. And they can do this whenever they want - after all, the AI doesn't have to sleep.

Is AI also interesting for Babbel for economic reasons? After all, offering online lessons also means that you have personnel costs. You have to deal with selection procedures, staff training and problems with the delivery of lessons.

Since the ultimate goal for learning success from our point of view is that people can talk to people, we don't intend to let the human element disappear. And so we are taking steps to ensure that it always remains in some way. We're using AI and more automated operations to help us deliver more value to learners and get them to their destination faster, so of course we remain open to that. In general, however, 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 is a common misconception that using DeepL or Google Translate is the same as learning a language. It is not at all. Second language learning is related to neuroplasticity, the remodeling of neuronal structures in response to their activity. So the brain actually changes when you learn a language. And you get to the point where you can interact with another person in that language. So that's what we focus on. Those are the types of experiences we want to give people.

If people have a specific need, such as getting lost in a new city and just needing to find their way to the nearest train station, they will use apps like this. And then they make perfect sense for them. But for people who want to explore a new culture, the need to learn another language is still there. And motivated learners will still look for ways to do this. We are very confident that there is still a huge market for language learning. Language learning will not become obsolete.

Note: The interview was conducted in English.

(nij)