Many people study foreign languages to expand their opportunities: traveling without a language barrier, achieving career success, or improving cognitive abilities. However, not everyone has the opportunity to enroll in language courses, and this is where artificial intelligence comes to the rescue.

With AI, you can start learning a language in a way that suits you best: through simple lessons, spoken or written dialogues, explanations of complex topics, and much more. Moreover, AI allows you to communicate about subjects that genuinely interest you. In this article, we will explore how AI helps people learn foreign languages.

There are various prompts that can help AI better understand your request. For example, a prompt to determine your language proficiency level might look like this:

“Hello! I have been studying English for many years, and I already have a foundation, but I want to reach a confident, advanced level. Let’s do a test. Ask me five questions in English, one at a time. I will answer them, and at the end, please assess my level, highlight my common mistakes, and point out what I am doing well.”

To discuss a specific topic, you could use the following prompt:

“Let’s practice conversational English. Imagine that we are old friends who have unexpectedly met at an airport. Write to me using simple, short phrases. Ask only one question at a time. After each of my answers, provide brief feedback on any mistakes (in Russian), and then continue the conversation in English.”

To understand a difficult grammar topic, you might try:

“Explain the difference between [insert tenses, for example: Past Simple and Present Perfect]. But don’t give me a boring lecture. Explain it using simple real-life examples and metaphors, as if I were a beginner.”

In addition to prompts, there are AI tools specifically designed for language learning. For example, Talkpal and Praktika help users practice speaking skills; Memrise uses AI-powered chatbots to simulate real-life situations; and Duolingo Max combines familiar lessons with AI-generated explanations of mistakes and role-playing exercises. There are also general-purpose AI chatbots such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude, which can be used to create study plans, review written texts, and conduct conversations.

For our mini-experiment, we chose ChatGPT. The following prompt was used:

“I am a complete beginner in [LANGUAGE YOU WANT TO LEARN]. I would like to learn the basics of the language within six months. I can study for one hour per day. Please create a structured learning plan based on the Pareto Principle to help me learn [LANGUAGE YOU WANT TO LEARN].”

It is important to remember that each AI system may respond best to different types of prompts.

To begin with, the AI explains the Pareto Principle: 20% of effort produces 80% of the results. The learning plan is designed around studying essential vocabulary, phrases, and grammar structures that account for the majority of everyday language comprehension. The AI provides a brief overview of how the learning process will work. According to ChatGPT, the Pareto Principle suggests focusing on the most important words, verbs, tenses, and expressions. During the one-hour daily study session, learners should spend approximately 15 minutes on each area: vocabulary, grammar, reading/listening, and speaking or writing practice.

After this introduction, the AI presents a month-by-month study plan. The first month focuses on basic vocabulary, pronouns, and simple sentences such as “My name is…,” “I like…,” and “I am…”. The program gradually becomes more advanced with each passing month. ChatGPT recommends using applications such as Quizlet and Anki to learn vocabulary, watching beginner-friendly videos, and reading children’s stories. In addition, it suggests supplementary resources beyond vocabulary apps, including Duolingo and educational lessons available on YouTube.

The final section highlights key points. ChatGPT offers additional guidance and proposes further learning opportunities, such as weekly study plans, lists of 500 essential words, daily mini-lessons, and customized learning programs built from scratch.

The AI handled the task very effectively. In addition to explaining how to learn a language within six months, it recommended a variety of useful resources that can accelerate the learning process. While artificial intelligence cannot replace real-life communication with people or professional language courses, it can serve as an excellent starting point for learning a new language or improving existing skills.

Kseniya Borisova
Student of the Uzbekistan State World Languages University