Lingual

The only language learning app you need to learn how to recognize, speak, and write different languages

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Inspiration

I am currently taking IB Chinese in my school. Memorizing chinese vocabulary and learning how to speak and write it is always a struggle. I created this app to help me and other people taking a language class in school learn different languages quickly and easily on an app. This app is not limited to just people taking a language class. Everyone with the desire to learn a new language can use my easily accessible app to learn recognization, speaking, and writing skills all on one app.

What it does

My app currently only supports the language Chinese, but in the future, I plan on adding a variety of languages like Japanese, Korean, English, etc. For each language, there is a flashcard, speaking, and writing section. For the flashcard section, users can memorize each word and its definition as well as the pronunciation of each word with the sound feature. The real challenge starts with the speaking section where users are required to speak into the phone to activate a speech-to-text feature. If what they said is the same as the displayed word, then they pass the 1st word. Lastly, the writing section is an additional practice section in which users can use their fingers to draw out the displayed words.

How we built it

I built it with react-native and typescript. The project also uses SQLite database that stores language words and definitions.

Challenges we ran into

While building Lingual, I encountered some issues with voice recognition not registering and the phone constantly crashing because of it. At first, I thought this issue was because due to an coding error. I searched all over the internet for solutions, but every source I searched up had identical code. I started panicking as I was worried that my app wouldn't be fully functional when submitted. From past experiences, I knew panicking would only cloud my thoughts and delay me even more. So, I decided to take a little 30 minute break and continue with the project after. In the end, the issue wasn't a complex issue. The reason for the bug was merely because I hadn't installed my dependencies in a long time.

Sometimes taking a little break will help refresh your brains and make you more prepared and motivated to solve any issue that arises.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

I am proud of almost completing my app and utilizing AI/machine learning topics in my app to enhance the learning experience for everyone. I never thought that I would be able to create such a complex app in one weekend, and I'm extremely proud of my work ethic and determination throughout this weekend.

What we learned

I learned that hard work does pay off. I spent day and night programming this week to finish this app, and although the app is still far from done, I am extremely proud of my progress. The one topic that I thought was very important that I learned to do this weekend was utilizing voice recognition and conversion from voice to speech. This was an awesome addition to my app that, in my opinion, added a unique side to my app. My app was mainly inspired by Quizlet, but in order to make my app unique from theirs, I decided to add a speaking and writing section that allows for user voice input via voice recognition and touch input via canvas.

What's next for Lingual

In the future, I plan on adding even more languages like Japanese, Korean, etc to my app in order to support a wider array of users. I also want to create a "create" feature where users can add their own wordsets into our app and then utilizing our flashcard, speaking, and writing feature to learn new words. Lastly, my app design will be heavily redesigned to improve the quality and visual appeal of my app.

Ending

Our app was created for learning purposes only! From high school students to anyone wanting to learn something new, our app is a fun and effective platform to continue your journey of learning a language!

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