Anyone learning a new language massively benefits from being able to speak with native speakers.
That being said, LLMs are better at languages and translation tasks than any pretty much anything else. If you need vocabulary help or have difficulty with grammar they’re incredibly helpful (vs Googling and hoping someone had the same issue and posted about it on Reddit).
I mean, if you can afford a native speaker tutor that is the superior choice. But, for the average person, an LLM is a massive improvement over trying to learn via YouTube or apps.
And the problem with Reddit–especially with certain language communities–is you’ll get a hallucination rate higher than current LLMs because learners can either overestimate their knowledge or sound off just because they want to show off.
I don’t recommend LLM use for beginners at languages but once they get a semester or two (or the equivalent) under their belt, the instant access to an answer that’s right most of the time is invaluable. Just first get to the point where you can start to recognize “maybe that’s not quite right…” first, and check sources. And definitely check in with natives as much as possible.
Anyone learning a new language massively benefits from being able to speak with native speakers.
That being said, LLMs are better at languages and translation tasks than any pretty much anything else. If you need vocabulary help or have difficulty with grammar they’re incredibly helpful (vs Googling and hoping someone had the same issue and posted about it on Reddit).
I mean, if you can afford a native speaker tutor that is the superior choice. But, for the average person, an LLM is a massive improvement over trying to learn via YouTube or apps.
And the problem with Reddit–especially with certain language communities–is you’ll get a hallucination rate higher than current LLMs because learners can either overestimate their knowledge or sound off just because they want to show off.
I don’t recommend LLM use for beginners at languages but once they get a semester or two (or the equivalent) under their belt, the instant access to an answer that’s right most of the time is invaluable. Just first get to the point where you can start to recognize “maybe that’s not quite right…” first, and check sources. And definitely check in with natives as much as possible.