It’s a tale as old as time: language learner excitedly starts to learn a new language; they fall in love with the vocabulary (and even the grammar); they change the language in their phone settings and refuse to watch any Netflix shows in their native tongue. The honeymoon period is in full swing, bolstered by an impressive daily learning streak on their favorite app (Memrise, naturally).
But then comes the task of speaking the language for the very first time… It’s an exciting prospect, but it’s also extremely daunting. The thought of fumbling over choosing the correct past tense or not being able to roll their ‘R’ is enough to send them into a cold sweat. But what if there were a way for them to practice these conversation skills in a safe space, without being put on the spot? Enter MemBot.
MemBot gives you all of the practice with none of the pressure
Using cutting-edge GPT-3 technology, we’ve built an AI language partner called MemBot, which embodies the final ‘Communicate’ step of the ‘Learn-Immerse-Communicate’ method that underpins everything we do here at Memrise. With MemBot, you’ll be able to practice your language skills anytime, anywhere, on-demand through a series of exciting and varied conversations, games and ‘missions’.
We all know that the very best way to learn a language is by going to the country and speaking it. But, realistically, that isn’t always possible. On top of this, as described above, it’s common for language learners to be held back by a fear of sounding ‘silly’ when it comes to having conversations in their target language. With all this in mind, we built something that solves both of these problems.
But don’t worry - MemBot certainly isn’t here to replace real-life conversation. What it can do is help to remove some of the stress that can come from speaking a foreign language on the spot for the first time. Think of it as a stepping stone to help you build up the confidence to speak your target language for real, ‘in the wild’.
So how does it work, and where does MemBot live?
MemBot can be found in the ‘Communicate’ tab of our web and mobile apps. To get chatting, just click on the tab, ensure the correct language combination is selected, and pick a chat, game or mission of your choice! If it’s your first time meeting MemBot, we’d recommend picking ‘Introduction to MemBot’ first, to get a feel for how everything works. Once you’ve selected a conversation to have, all that’s left to do is to get typing!
If you get stuck, don’t worry - there are lots of different ways in which MemBot can lend a helping hand so you can decide what to say next. You can ask for a hint, a translation or even suggested responses to keep you on the right track. Don’t worry too much about getting your spelling, grammar or tricky punctuation marks perfect - remember that this is a safe space for you to practice conversations in your target language; it’s not an exam! Just think of MemBot as your friendly, encouraging language partner… who just happens to be a robot.
But isn't AI a bit... scary?
For decades, science fiction books and movies have depicted AI as something scary that might take over the world at any given moment! As a result, many people have reservations about this technology. While it's important to always keep in mind the potential risks and limitations of AI, we can also appreciate the many benefits that it can offer, especially in the world of education.
One of the main advantages of practicing conversation skills with MemBot is that it can personalize the learning experience to suit the individual needs of each student. It can even analyze a student's performance and adjust the difficulty and content of the lessons accordingly. This allows for a more tailored and effective learning experience that can help students stay engaged and motivated. A curated learning approach is particularly ideal for language learners, because it gives them the opportunity to learn exclusively what they actually want and need to learn, which means they can get communicating sooner. With the ability to steer the conversation in whichever way they like, MemBot users can have varied and engaging conversations every time they log on.
Another benefit is that MemBot can provide instant feedback and support to students. Unlike traditional forms of education, which are often seen as being slow and cumbersome, AI-powered learning platforms can provide immediate feedback and guidance to students. This can help them stay on track, give them infinite motivation and ultimately make progress in their learning much faster!
We’re proud to have always been the best language app on the market for helping you memorize useful vocabulary (in our humble opinion!), and we hope that this new development will help you put your learning into practice.
We’re so pleased to introduce MemBot to the world and we hope you’re excited to set off on your first mission!
Click to get started now
