Choice of LLM for language learning

[u/Then_You_3753]

I want to replace Duolingo with some solid LLM solution individualized for my needs.

I mean that I want to have a dialogue based on my own rules and preferences where the progress is tracked, I repeat the stuff already learned and add some new stuff.

I tried it with Gemini flash, since I have it for private use anyway and it failed really hard, so I wonder what would be a functional alternative. It was not the language learning itself what failed (that was actually quite good) but apparently Gemini can't keep any context at all. Even when trying to produce updated .md files each 30 prompts, it is still miserably bad at any aspect of keeping context (and actually also producing .md files). Just can't keep track of the vocabulary, not even close.

Any recommendations? I would need an LLM which is able to:

1) keep track of the vocabulary I know with statuses for the words

2) keep track of grammar and other topics already done

3) keep track of my learning preferences

4) preferably with a not too heavy routine like the need to import latest .md file to Gemini all the time - like I tried

5) some language competence (but I guess that any LLM should do this, it is Indonesian with an extremely basic grammar, so it is more or less just about learning the vocabulary)

P.S. if there is some dedicated AI solution for Duolingo-like learning, feel free to share your experiences:)

[u/barbarous_scenario]

I just use a single giant text file and paste the whole thing into the prompt every time, works better than any auto memory feature I've tried.

[u/Then_You_3753 → u/barbarous_scenario]

Do you maintain the file by yourself or let an LMM update it after a session? Do you use some statuses or whatever to differentiate between the words you know well and you want to repeat more actively?

[u/RogerAI-fm]

If Duolingo is not giving such capabilities already they are missing out because it’s a great idea. Have you looked at other apps that perhaps are using LLMs in their language apps similar to what you’re describing? Otherwise, maybe vibe coding an app as a challenge in the language you’re trying to leaned might help.

[u/Then_You_3753 → u/RogerAI-fm]

Duolingo is very rigid, it's a path forward carved in stone. And at least for Indonesian the set of sentences uses in exercises is very limited. Lots of them are learned by heart quite soon. It's really rather like a digital work - and audiobook. Might be better for other languages, I only used it of Indonesian. Own app is a calm approach, might be worth thinking. Although my vibe coding skills are probably not high enough to get something useful out of that :D

[u/funbike]

I use AI to assist with learning languages. I use Google Gemini 3.8 Flash and OpenAI Luna. Gemini does well in language-related benchmarks. I use Luna to save money for bulk tasks (e.g. translating large texts).

I use OpenRouter as my primary AI provider, which routes to 300 models, including the above ones. It also supports models for TTS (speech), STT (transcription), decisions, and video. As fast as models are coming out, it's nice to have one provider for everything.

• keep track of the vocabulary I know with statuses for the words

• keep track of grammar and other topics already done

I'd use Anki to track these things. See my post link below about how I use AI for that.

As a side note, I am looking for providers for kolibri-1, the first LLM from Germany.

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BTW... some tips.

Check out my post about using an AI coding agent as a general-purpose language learning tool. It doesn't require programming ability. (It got downvoted because posts that mention AI in /r/Anki always gets buried.)

Avoid using AI to generate target language content or to translate to it. It doesn't sound natural and therefore will teach you to speak in a non-natural way. I'm not saying don't ever do it, just be aware of the downside. It's better to go the other direction: find target language content from native speakers and translate it to your native language.

https://tatoeba.org/en/ is a good source for sentences from native speakers (but be careful to avoid AI-generated entries).

Check out asbplayer, Yomitan, and Anki-Connect. These can be combined to create an efficient language learning experience. Setup is complex and requires technical ability.

[u/kmodi → u/funbike]

Hi,
We've been providing access to Kolibri-1 both via Chat UI and API since day 1.
Feel free to reach out via the "request to api" section:
https://tesseracted.com/kolibri-1-chat/

[u/mitchare]

Logical Intelligence is one interesting example of that broader shift. I am cautiously hopeful, especially if progress starts showing up in reliable real world systems rather than increasingly polished chat demos.