Project description
Training your language ear with a chatbot
Foreign language learning is big business. While millions of people travel abroad each year to study languages, technology is also changing how people learn and access language courses online. In all settings, interacting with native speakers can greatly enhance language learning. But what happens when native speakers (especially those who can analyse the progression and challenge the learner) are not available? The EU-funded Talk2Leeloo project is working to replace the native speaker with a virtual persona based on artificial intelligence. It will use on-demand chat with a chatbot – a computer program that simulates real conversations – on everyday topics in the target language of study. This will help train students’ to understand the nuances of language and accent.
Objective
Language learning is a crucial worldwide challenge. Yet, after hours of studying a language, most people are not able to carry out a fluent oral discussion with native speakers. Individuals and professionals who wish to communicate in foreign languages more easily, are actually concerned. For example, 400 million Chinese people are currently learning English. Companies are investing heavily in foreign language learning training. Digital language learning solutions have emerged but those resources focus too much on passive learning of useless vocabulary, complicated grammar, boring subjects and little active learning in building authentic sentences. Motivation fades and learning does not capitalize on long-term quality progression. At LEELOO, we believe that learning a language should focus on only 3 main points: the 2,000 most frequent words, build your own sentences and speak about topics you love and need. This approach requires a solid interaction between two people who must have similar availability and share common points of interest. A key factor to success when speaking with someone is the native speaker’s ability to analyze the progression and challenge the learner. With our personal experience in studying multiple languages, we know that the limit of the execution of this method is too dependent on the native speaker. Replacing the native speaker with a virtual persona that uses Artificial Intelligence is our solution to this problem. LEELOO is an AI-based, disruptive method to improve in a foreign language through on-demand chat with a chatbot on everyday topics in the target language of study. Through a pilot version launched with several companies, we anticipate we will be able to convert those companies into paying customers through a licensed SaaS platform (B2B). This project aims to go beyond our convincing preliminary R&D works, to build a pilot chatbot (Phase 1) which will challenge the willingness for users to switch to our paid product (Phase 2).
Fields of science
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques.
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1Coordinator
75009 PARIS
France
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.