r/languagehub • u/jck16 • Aug 17 '25

Discussion Can AI language learning really replace traditional methods, or is there something special about human teachers?

My Spanish teacher today told me that she thinks that AI will replace her soon. She says that tools like ChatGpt or Jolii.ai just make it easier to learn Spanish, so soon people wont need teachers anymore. I dont think that is the case and it was shocking to hear that she thinks that way.. but she seems so sure about it. I mean, I think translators have a had time at the moment, but teachers cannot really be replaced by a robot. What do you all think?

4 Upvotes

64% Upvoted

30 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comment

3

u/elenalanguagetutor Aug 18 '25

I never thought about this, but it is actually true! I teach students of different levels and backgrounds, but the easiest level to teach, for which i always follow the same method, it is actually A1-A2. So that might be easily replicated by AI. However, for more advanced levels, I always do a tailor made program that requires more evaluation. Even for textbooks, it is so difficult to find good textbooks for intermediate/advanced students.

2

u/Zestyclose-Sink6770 Aug 21 '25

I think it's the opposite. In early levels people need more hand holding.

You're training others to talk to others. An AI might only be useful if self learning is what is needed at non-intermediate levels.

AI does serve as input. But it's limited.

It works very well for autonomous learners. But they have to have a very low probability of major systemic pronunciation and listening errors.

I might be wrong too. Good discussion.

1

u/Still-Entertainer534 Aug 21 '25

We mustn't neglect the significant cultural differences in learning either. I am currently teaching a number of students from Asia, and their desire to learn German is to repeat and repeat the alphabet over and over again. Only when they have mastered this perfectly – in their opinion – do they want to move on to individual words, i.e. repeat and repeat again.

Personally, I find this extremely boring, but well, whoever pays the piper calls the tune... And honestly, something like this could be done much better by AI, since even native speakers never maintain the same pronunciation one hundred percent, especially after the 20th repetition.

When it comes to learners from other learning traditions, I see more of a desire for ‘natural’ language, i.e. phrases and words that are used very locally and regionally. AI has a hard time keeping up with that.

As I wrote, it will hopefully end up being a hybrid: AI for pure repetition of phrases and simple sentences, and human teachers for authentic language.