Duolingo language app is updated with bots
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Duolingo, the language learning app, has released a new update starting to introduce chatbots for users to practice the conversations. The feature is now available for iOS devices, but only for Spanish, German, and French languages.
Duolingo modernizes and bets on bots
The creators of the app Duolingo explain that conversation is always one of the highest priorities for language learners, but not it's always easy to offer this feature: conversations with native speakers should be the best option, although free learning services have a hard time integrating this service with good quality standards .
Therefore, the Duolingo team has decided to modernize its platform and offer a new feature that, for now, is available for the mobile application for devices with operating system iOS: text chats with bots programmed to answer automatically to thousands of different phrases and expressions.
This feature is currently only available for iOS devices and only for chats in three languages : Spanish, German and French From the company they assure that the chatbots will soon arrive at Android and that they will also be available for the rest of languages offered in their service.
One of the drawbacks that users have detected is that at the moment it is only possible to converse with these bots through written text messages, without the possibility of using a voice recognition system for dictation orpractice pronunciation and oral expression
Since Duolingo is primarily based on written work (vocabulary and grammar learning, reading and writing lessons to improve spelling ), the possibility of using the voice is considered a basic element in order to achieve fluency in the language being studied.
What are the bots used by Duolingo like?
One of the most interesting features of bots is that they are not boring machines that respond haphazardly, but are programmed to take on different roles and personalities. The program used analyzes the interventions of the students to be able to issue answers in accordance with the content and with the type of role assigned to the bot Thus, for example, the user can practice French with a police bot or German with a chef bot.
Through the application you can learn vocabulary expressions applicable to specific situations of daily life: buy food in a supermarket, ask for directions on the street to know how to get to a certain place, talk about yourself, order a taxi or even explain to a doctor the reason for the consultation and the symptoms suffered.
Responding to questions from users about the possibility of establishing conversations by voice (or at least through text dictation), Duolingo has responded that they will integrate these options soon, although an exact date has not been specified. It is also not known precisely when the chatbots from Duolingo to Android and to the rest of platform languages.
