5 Resources for Chatbots to Be Your Language Learning BFFs

5 Resources for Chatbots to Be Your Language Learning BFFs 5 Resources for Chatbots to Be Your Language Learning BFFs They interact like humans, but theyre not human.Theyre built of the latest technology, tweaked and reworked to perfection.But dont call them hosts or expect them to let you shoot them over and over againâ€"this isnt Westworld.Were talking about chatbots or bots, which are computer programs that simulate real conversations.In the real world, theyre already all over the placeâ€"acting as assistants or guides, dealing with customer service issues and even being sold as toys.Sometimes you may not even notice them, but theres good reason to be aware they exist.Why? Well, because they can provide valuable practice for language learners.These days, interactive language learning resources  are nearly as technologically advanced as your favorite Delos theme park.  Virtual reality language learning,  language learning apps  and, yes, language learning chatbots can now help you get your  daily language practice  and the  language immersion  you need from the comfort of your couch, bed or hyperb olic chamber.Chatbots can even help you get the language conversation practice you need without a real human language exchange partner.Thats rightâ€"bots have taken over, but theres no need to be afraid.In fact, the friendly chatbots well meet in this post may just become your new language learning BFFs. Why Use a Language Learning Chatbot?If youre looking for an excuse to try the latest language learning technology, you need look no further. There are lots of reasons to use a chatbot.One reason to get on board is that chatbots are convenient. You can get some conversation practice anytime, anywhere. No need to call your language exchange partner in the middle of the night if you have a sudden study urge! Plus, because you have them with you wherever you are, you can squeeze in a few minutes of practice in line, between errands or even while waiting for the next memory wipe.Additionally, chatbots take away the intimidation and awkwardness of talking with real people. If you arent sure of your language skills or are shy, interacting with real people can be one of the most challenging parts of learning a language. Luckily, chatbots help you practice your skills without having to talk with a real person, thereby making you more confident when it is time to speak with a human being.Finally, chatbots help you practice scenarios youre likely to encounter. They focus primarily on functional skills youll actually need, so theyll prepare you to use your language skills in the real world. You can even take your chatbot practice several steps further in this regard by combining it with  FluentU, a platform that helps you thoroughly learn the actual language used in authentic native content (like vlogs, interviews and other real recorded conversations and speech).In this way, youll be able to familiarize yourself with both sides of realistic target language conversations and be ready for themâ€"all without talking to an actual person!5 Resources for Chatbots to Be Your Language Learning BFFsDuolingoAvailable: iOSIf you use any online language resources, chances are youve heard the name Duolingo once or twice (or more realistically, about a thousand times). Theres good reason for that. It offers a free online resource and an awesome app designed to help you learn grammar and vocabulary through interactive spaced repetition.But now, Duolingo has entered the chatbot game. Duolingo Bots use artificial intelligence to allow you to have life-like interactions. The Bots can work with thousands of potential responses, but if you hit a snag, you can also type help me reply for a little extra assistance.Duolingo is working on adding new Bots, but currently you already have a nice selection. You might chat with pizza maker Chef Roberto, get directions from Renée the Driver or interact with Officer Ada.You can access the Bots in the iOS app, and the conversation is a lot like texting a real person. Duolingo Bots will ask you questions, then you type your res ponses. From there, realistic conversations ensue on topics like what you want to drink.While Duolingo does also have an Android app, the Bots arent yet available in this app.The Bots are currently available for  French, German  and Spanish, with more languages on the way.MemriseAvailable: iOS | AndroidUp for an adventure? Memrises chatbots can launch into orbit.Memrise is a learning program that uses the latest technology to help you hone your skills. This includes fun new chatbots.Memrises chatbots are available in its apps. You cant always get to them, but as you progress through the leveled learning, some chat options will appear. These chatbots focus on missions in outer space. While they employ useful vocabulary, they have an adventurous slant. To interact with the chatbots, you select words from a list to piece together sentences for a text-based conversation.Memrise currently offers 20 languages, including popular languages like Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japa nese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish, and some rarer choices like Icelandic and Mongolian.MondlyAvailable: iOS | AndroidMondly is all about the latest technology. Not only do they offer chatbots, they also offer virtual reality, so you have plenty of engaging, immersive learning options with them.You can access the chatbot easily through the main app interface. Unlike most other chatbots, the Mondly chatbot is voice-enabled. The chatbot will give you a prompt, and youll have a list of options for what you might say. Then, you speak into your device and the chatbot responds. Chatbot scenarios cover common activities, like greeting people and eating out, so Mondlys chatbot is an easy way to improve your functional speaking skills.Mondly offers over 30 languages, including standard options like Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish, and some harder-to-find options like Bulgarian, Indonesian, Persian, Thai and Vietnamese.Egg bun EducationAvailable: iOS | AndroidEggbun Education is designed to help beginning language students practice their skills.The artificial intelligence chatbot acts like a tutor. Lanny, as shes called, focuses on providing you with guidance and direction in learning your target language. The interaction offers text-based dialogue along with audio examples. Along the way, Lanny will share information and ask you to type certain words to help you learn vocabulary and grammar.Eggbun Education is offered for Chinese, Japanese and Korean.Chatbots.orgWe have a secret: There are many chatbots out there that arent designed to help you learn a language, but they might do just that.Authentic chatbots are intended for various tasks, like answering customer service questions or providing more information about a company. However, since many of these chatbots use foreign languages, you can use them to practice your language skills.These chatbots are almost entirely text-based, but if you select the right one, they can be a great way to brush up on thematic vocabulary.Chatbots.org offers a database of chatbots from around the world. Select a country that speaks your target language and youre likely to find a chatbot that speaks it, too, and probably even uses the specific regional dialect. If regional dialect is unimportant, you can also just select your language of interest for some great chatbot options.For instance, if youre studying French, the site lists over 100 French-speaking chatbots. These chatbots offer career advice, self-help tips, news and even analysis of medical symptoms. Thats a lot of thematic vocabulary practice!Plus, for the most spoken languages, there are a number of good chatbot options. There are 4 Arabic bots, 4 Chinese bots, over 80 German bots, over 30 Italian bots, 4 Japanese bots, 20 Portuguese bots, 16 Russian bots and over 90 Spanish bots.So go ahead and board the train to your next learning adventure.A chatbot may be just what you need to hel p your language skills finally reach the center of the maze that is your brain. And One More ThingIf you like learning languages with chatbots, youll love learning with FluentU. FluentU makes it possible to learn languages  from music videos, commercials, news and inspiring talks.With FluentU, you learn real languagesâ€"the same way that real people speak them. FluentU has a wide variety of videos, like movie trailers, funny commercials and web series, as you can see here:FluentU App Browse ScreenFluentU has interactive captions that let you tap on any word to see an image, definition, audio and useful examples. Now native language content is within reach with interactive transcripts.Didnt catch something? Go back and listen again. Missed a word? Hover over or tap on the subtitles to instantly view definitions.FluentU Interactive TranscriptsYou can learn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentUs quiz mode. Swipe left or right to see  more examples for the word you’re learnin g.FluentU Has Quizzes for Every VideoAnd FluentU always keeps track of vocabulary that you’re learning. It uses that vocab to give you a 100% personalized experience by recommending videos and examples.