✨The Future of Online Language Learning 📚📲

Boglárka Sebestyén — Thu, 06 Mar 2025 04:25:12 +0000

This is a submission for the Future Writing Challenge: How Technology Is Changing Things.

Context & Additional Prize Categories

This is a fictional letter written to my former university colleagues. Since we majored in Norwegian and English Language and Linguistics, it reflects on my personal experiences with language learning - both past and present - while exploring how innovation, especially AI, is shaping the future of language education through apps and immersive tools.

While the letter touches on major advancements, it’s not meant to be an exhaustive list of every innovation in language learning. I chose a style that blends "Explain Like I’m Five" (ELI5) with the "Ripple Effect" approach. Hope you enjoy it!

Hey, everyone! How are you all doing? Brushing up on your Norwegian skills, I hope "wink-wink"...But seriously, it’s been a while since we graduated and we all should know how hard it is to not forget a foreign language we studied from scratch.

Remember how many textbooks we used to learn from? That went a tad slow with a group of 20+ people getting a chance to read and speak, right? Those were quite the days.

After graduation, I remember some of us signing up to Duolingo. You’re not gonna believe it, but I’m still on it, with a 600+ day streak! Does it help me, though, and might I move on to a different platform? Let me explain.

It’s not just language learning that’s evolving - AI is reshaping education as a whole. Education has changed dramatically, with digital tools and even AI becoming more common in classrooms. Would you believe that there's new rules around AI literacy, like the new California bill? With AI becoming a bigger part of education, governments are starting to step in. Schools and universities are figuring out how to integrate AI tools without compromising privacy, while policymakers are debating who owns our learning data.

What does this actually mean? It means that an app wouldn’t just track your mistakes - it would store them, analyze them, and use them to personalize your learning. Unlike a human teacher who might overlook small errors, AI keeps a record and may bring them up again later. Would it keep reminding you forever? What if it never lets go? Like a robot teacher that won’t stop bringing up the time you mixed up “dog” and “frog”...

Anyway, back to language learning apps, I just read that the number of new users on Duolingo was up 67% globally during the pandemic, compared with 2019. That’s crazy! Heck, I even convinced my mom to start learning English in 2020.

Busuu had a 25% user growth, while Babbel also reported a huge growing user number the same year. Usually, we learn for travel, or work opportunities, right? Well, in 2020 we collectively decided to learn a new language because it’s fun, a positive use of our time, because of the culture, or brain training, even.

While I’ve also tried Memrise to learn Faroese from scratch, the platform itself bored me a little bit, so I decided to hop back into gamified learning, a.k.a the dopamine-infused clutches of Duolingo and its streaks and badges…and then, in 2023, GPT-4 powered "Duolingo Max" happened.

My thoughts on it? Hell yeah, I can face my fear of speaking, that’s great. This is Duo’s new AI-powered tier above the standard premium plan. It lets users practice speaking with chat-based AI character Lily, which sounded great, but I quickly realized that short, scripted conversations weren’t enough to build fluency. I originally wanted to stick with Norwegian, but I noticed that many of Duolingo’s AI-driven features, like speaking exercises, podcasts, and interactive stories weren’t available for Norwegian. Since they were available for Spanish, which I was already learning anyway, I switched to see how different the experience was.

All in all, Duo definitely makes it easy to stay consistent, build habits, and even keep in touch with friends, but, sometimes, those streaks and badges feel a bit like a double-edged sword. I know it’s meant to encourage daily practice, but it feels like I’m playing the app rather than learning from it. Still, I can’t deny that Duolingo’s design keeps me coming back, which is more than I can say for a lot of other learning methods.

But Duolingo isn’t the only AI-driven tool I’ve tried. Let’s talk about chatbots. I tried practicing with LangAI, ChatGPT, and even DeepSeek, but the latter two stood out the most. For some reason, DeepSeek’s pronunciation sounded like a Dane speaking Norwegian, but GPT’s was incredibly natural. It not only helped me understand and converse as if I would with a native speaker, I also told it that my vocabulary was pretty rusty, so it needed to first introduce words in English before giving me their Norwegian equivalents.

With that said, I’ve come to realize that the best way to learn isn’t about choosing between old, “offline” methods (books, dictionaries) or new, “online” tools - it’s about intertwining them. Flipping through my old notebooks helps me remember past grammar challenges, but I also rely on apps. Each method has its strengths: books give structure, apps make practice fun, and AI helps simulate conversation.

That got me thinking…what if AI could take immersion even further? Instead of just interacting with a chatbot, future language learners might step into a virtual world where they can practice conversations in real-life scenarios.

Imagine putting on VR glasses and walking into an English café, ordering a cup of tea, and getting real-time feedback from AI-generated “locals”, or using AR to point at objects in your room and have their names appear in the language you're learning! AI shouldn’t be just about chatbots for language learners - it could pave the way for fully interactive, almost real-world language experiences.

AI is impressive, but it’s far from perfect. A recent example? Google's AI-powered translation tool sometimes invents words that don’t even exist. Imagine confidently learning a phrase in Spanish, only to find out later that no native speaker has ever said it.

I guess that’s the tricky part - AI delivers answers with so much confidence that it’s easy to trust, even when it’s wrong. DeepL, often praised for its more accurate and context-aware translations, still isn’t immune to occasional errors, especially in less common languages. While they can be great for practicing, they’re still prone to making mistakes that could trip up learners.

So, while AI isn’t perfect, it’s making language learning more accessible, engaging, and, honestly, more fun than ever before. Whether it’s gamified apps, AI tutors, or even future VR experiences, we’re stepping into a world where learning a new language is easier than ever. Of course, real conversations and cultural immersion will always be the best way to learn, but AI is becoming a powerful tool to bridge the gap, no matter if you’re a beginner or brushing up on old skills.

Who knows? Maybe in a few years, we’ll be sitting in a virtual Norwegian café, ordering coffee in perfect Bokmål with an AI barista. Until then, whether you’re grinding streaks or chatting with chatbots, let’s just keep learning!

What are your thoughts on all of this? Have you tried any AI-powered tools for language learning, or do you still prefer the old-school methods?

Eagerly waiting for your answers!

Bogi

Sources:

AI in Education:

Stanford article on AI in education: "The future is already here: AI and education in 2025"

Duolingo & App Growth:

BBC article: "UK leading the way in use of language-learning apps"
The Verge article on Duolingo’s growth: "Duolingo CEO Luis von Ahn wants you addicted to learning"

Chatbots:

BBC article on AI chatbots in language learning: "Students switch to AI to learn languages"

VR and AI immersion:

EdTechReview article on immersive learning: "5 AI-powered tools that can help you with language learning"

AI and Privacy Concerns:

BBC article on AI mistakes: "Students switch to AI to learn languages"

P.S. I write long letters IRL, too. :)

Winter Festival Scratch Ticket 🎭

Boglárka Sebestyén — Sat, 22 Feb 2025 03:04:35 +0000

This is a submission for Frontend Challenge - February Edition, CSS Art: February.

Hi! This project is an interactive scratch-off ticket experience inspired by a very famous winter festival in Hungary called the Busójárás Festival. You can brush away a digital dust layer to reveal your fate, watch the ticket flip to display either sides, and download it as a keepsake.✨

📋Features:

Unique Design: I created the ticket design entirely from scratch in Canva and Figma, drawing inspiration from traditional carnival aesthetics.
Responsive Layout: Adapts to different screen sizes with flexible typography and layout.
Accessibility Considerations:
- WCAG-friendly colors and contrasts.
- Keyboard navigability and focus indicators.
- Proper use of semantic HTML elements.
Interactive Scratch Effect: Users "scratch" away the dust layer using mouse or touch gestures.
Dynamic Ticket Flip: At random intervals, the ticket flips on its own, revealing the back side.
Downloadable Ticket: Users can download both sides of their ticket as a single image, or scan the QR code to visit the official festival website.
Background Effects: Subtle ashy textures for a realistic scratched-off feel.

🛠️ Tools & Technologies Used

Design Tools: Canva, Figma
Development: HTML, CSS, JavaScript:
- Semantic structure for better accessibility.
- Custom styling, animations, and a visually appealing layout.
- Implements the scratch-off effect, ticket flip, and download functionality.

🖥️ How It Works

Scratch Off the Dust – Use your mouse (or touch) to uncover the ticket.
Reveal the Ticket Manually – If you prefer, press the "Reveal Ticket" button to instantly clear the dust.
Watch the Ticket Flip – At random intervals, the ticket flips on its own, revealing the back side.
Download Your Ticket – Click the "Download Ticket" button to save a copy.
Scan or Click the QR Code – Visit the festival’s official site with one tap.

🚀 Accessibility Considerations

Keyboard Navigation:
- All interactive elements (buttons, QR code) are reachable via Tab.
- Custom focus outlines for clear visibility. Color Contrast & Readability:
- Used high contrast colors (#E4572E for buttons, white text).
- Ensured text is large and scales well on different screens.
ARIA & Alternative Text:
- QR code has an accessible description.
- Images use meaningful alt attributes.

✨ Live demo

--> Here

--> view the entire project on my Github profile here.

Thanks for stopping by!

DEV Community: Boglárka Sebestyén