Inspiration
Learning a new language provides a valuable skill set for communication but not everyone has proficiency in multiple languages and everyone is at different stages. We notice that other language learning services such as Duolingo, provide a linear sequence to approach learning and it fails to account for deviations in this sequence where some concepts need to be re-strengthened. Since learning is best conducted through immersive dialogs, we wanted to employ the power of Natural Language Generation that AI provides to carry these conversations over to aspiring users.
What it does
ParaSpeek is a web app that provides users with an AI tutor who assesses their language understanding and determines what areas need improvement. It approaches language learning in a non-linear way to ensure that foundational basics are strengthened and misunderstandings are avoided. By having conversations with our assistant, your skillsets will be evaluated and it will provide any suggested improvements. By maneuvering through the language learning process in an iterative fashion where conversation evaluation and feedback drive understanding, users can experience more substantial results.
How we built it
We used Node.js and flask to run the back end supporting the React.js front end. An API connecting our web app to Chat-GPT was developed to make natural language dialogs possible.
Challenges we ran into
Tackling a project that involves merging AI with a web interface was a first for our team. We had very limited experience working with AI along with developing a dynamic front. Because of this, it was difficult to know where to start or how to connect both aspects of our project together.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
Creating the API that communicates from Theming our idea around birds that speak (Parakeets!), It was a cheerful way to make a metaphorical connection between our concept and a more concrete representation.
What we learned
We learned a lot working with AI. Having pre-built natural language processing models and developing a web interface to utilize it is something we're glad to have learned about.
What's next for ParaSpeak
We are going to try making our product more interactive as we continue to utilize and learn about AI. We believe that our product was limited by our current knowledge surrounding AI, especially considering that this was the first time that we had utilized AI in software development. The next step would be to implement languages in addition to English and make our product compatible. The last step for us would be to overthrow the Duolingo Owl. Our ambitions have yet to be put to rest and we shall overcome the beast behind Duolingo.
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