Google Launches New Feature to Challenge Duolingo in Language Learning Market
Google is set to release a new feature on its search platform that aims to compete with popular language learning app, Duolingo. This feature is designed to assist users in practicing and improving their English language skills, targeting a wide audience of language learners.
In a blog post, Google expressed its excitement about the new feature and its potential to help users practice speaking and enhance their language abilities.
The feature will be gradually rolled out over the next few days, initially becoming available to Android users in specific regions such as Argentina, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Mexico, and Venezuela. However, Google plans to expand its availability to more countries and languages in the near future.
The primary function of this new feature is to provide users with an interactive platform for practicing spoken English. Users will be presented with real-world prompts and encouraged to form their own spoken responses using a provided vocabulary word. The practice sessions are designed to be short, lasting only 3 to 5 minutes, making them convenient for users to fit into their busy schedules. Furthermore, participants will receive personalized feedback, allowing for continuous improvement.
Users will also have the option to receive daily reminders, which aim to promote consistent practice. The tool is designed to work alongside other language learning resources and services, serving as a supplementary aid to personal tutoring, mobile applications, and formal classes.
Google collaborated with linguists, teachers, and ESL/EFL pedagogy experts to develop this feature, aiming to create a practice experience that is both effective and motivating for learners. Real-time, personalized feedback is a crucial aspect of effective language learning, and Google’s system analyzes user responses and offers suggestions and corrections promptly. The system provides semantic feedback that evaluates the relevance of the response to the question and its likelihood of being understood in a conversation. Grammar feedback is also provided to offer insights into potential grammatical improvements. Additionally, the feature offers a set of example answers at varying levels of language complexity, providing concrete suggestions for alternative responses.
One technical challenge that Google overcame in creating this feature was enabling contextual translation. During practice sessions, users can tap on any word they don’t understand to see its translation within the context of the sentence. To achieve this, Google developed a deep learning model called Deep Aligner in collaboration with the Google Translate team. This model aligns language pairs, resulting in improved word alignments compared to existing approaches. The model has been integrated into Google’s translation APIs, leading to significant enhancements in translated PDFs and websites in Chrome, refined translation of YouTube captions, and improved performance of Google Cloud’s translation API.
Google stated that its search platform is already a valuable tool for language learners, providing translations, definitions, and other resources to improve vocabulary. With this new feature, learners translating to or from English on their Android phones will now have access to an English speaking practice experience with personalized feedback.
In an effort to provide accurate and reliable information, Google collaborated with linguists and language experts to create this new feature. The company believes that it will be a valuable addition to the arsenal of language learners, offering diverse options for honing their language skills.
Sources:
– Google Launches New Feature for English Language Practice, Tech Times
– Google’s New Feature Aims to Help English Language Learners Improve, Tech Times
