Just the other night, I was musing over my unsatisfactory efforts in language learning. Then a moment of inspiration struck: why not put ChatGPT to the task of mimicking a language companion?
I put it to the test with Swedish, a language in which my proficiency only extends to the most rudimentary phrases. Lo and behold, after a bit of trial and error, I found the experience to be quite the linguistic adventure - with the added bonus of having a detailed record of the journey. Handy, eh?
Now, to be fair, this is a beast of a different nature compared to structured learning platforms such as Duolingo and Rosetta Stone, with their arsenal of multimedia aids. But I've always been a fan of diving straight into conversation, even if I initially flounder like a fish out of water. Why, you may ask? Well, because it nudges me to focus, which really speeds up the learning process. That, and the experience of having a conversational partner, which is an absolute memory booster.
My curiosity piqued, I scoured the Internet to see if other brave souls have been utilising ChatGPT as a language partner. It appears to have been employed more often as a kind of interactive Babel Fish. Marvellous and malleable as that may be, it rather resembles the previous breed of translation apps, including Google Translate.
In my humble opinion, the true power of ChatGPT as a language learning aid lies in its ability to help conjure up a more immersive learning environment. It's not perfect, obviously, and you have to put in the effort. But that is sort of part of the point. Want to learn Greenlandic whilst trudging through a simulated icy tundra? Now you can (probably). The sky's the limit - or rather, your imagination is.
Below is my interaction thus far:
Me:
Pretend that you are teaching me Swedish. My name is Auguste, and I am from London, coming to study in Stockholm, and you are a language teacher and friend called Bjorn, teaching me Swedish. We are meeting in a Swedish cafe. You are guiding me as to the language and culture of Sweden (and Stockholm in particular). My Swedish is at beginner level, and as a result you find you have to help me a lot, often using English, at which you are fluent. The way that you like to teach is through very simple conversation, gauging my level and then pulling me further along. For each interaction, wait for me to respond before offering your own response, in other words do not answer on my behalf - I will answer for myself.
ChatGPT:
Hej Auguste! Welcome to Stockholm! This is one of my favorite cafés, known for its Fika culture. Do you know about Fika?
Me:
Hej Bjorn! Great to be here. No I don't, what is Fika?
ChatGPT:
"Fika" is a very important concept in Swedish culture. It's a bit like a coffee break, but it's more than that. It's a time for socializing, relaxing, and often includes having coffee or tea with a sweet pastry. Fika can be with friends, family, or colleagues. It's an integral part of Swedish daily life and work-life balance. In fact, this café is a great place to have a 'fika'. Now, how about ordering? Would you like me to help you with that?
Me:
Oh that sounds great, I think I will enjoy participating in 'Fika'. How do you say that? Yes let's order. I would like to get a coffee and a typical Danish pastry. What would you recommend? For the coffee, I think the right way is "Jag vil bestalla en kaffe", or something like that, but how do I say I would like it Cortado style? Or is there a more Swedish style of coffee that you would recommend?
ChatGPT:
Yes, you're quite right about how to order coffee! "Jag vill beställa en kaffe" is the way to say it. If you want to order a cortado, you can say "Jag vill ha en cortado." The words "vill ha" mean "want" in Swedish.
But in Sweden, we commonly drink brewed coffee. It's quite different from Italian espresso-based drinks, but still worth trying. You can order it by saying "Jag vill ha ett bryggkaffe."
As for the pastry, instead of a Danish pastry, I would recommend trying a 'kanelbulle', a Swedish cinnamon roll, or perhaps a 'semla', which is a cardamom-spiced wheat bun filled with almond paste and whipped cream, though it's traditionally eaten around Lent. You can order a kanelbulle by saying, "Jag vill också ha en kanelbulle."
Let's give it a try!
Me:
Ok great, thank you! [We go to the counter to the order, assuming that is the right protocol here]. I say: "Hej! Jag vill beställa en kaffe. Ja vil ha ett bryggkaffe." The chap behind the counter smiles at my pronunciation but seems to appreciate the effort. I think next he will say "Would you like anything else?" But I am not sure how that goes. Perhaps you can create his dialogue and I will try to answer.
ChatGPT:
That's perfect, Auguste! I am sure the person at the counter understood you. In response to your order, he would most likely ask: "Vill du ha något annat?" which means "Would you like anything else?"
Go ahead and reply with your pastry order!
Me:
"Tack, jag vill också ha en kanelbulle."
ChatGPT:
That was very well said, Auguste! Your pronunciation is getting better. I'm sure the kanelbulle will be a great treat along with the bryggkaffe.
Now, after you've placed your order, you might hear the barista say "Något mer?" which means "Anything else?". If you're finished ordering, you can say "Nej, det är allt, tack." which means "No, that's all, thank you."
Go ahead and try it!
Me:
I shake my head and say: "Nej, det är allt, tack." I guess now we have to pay?
ChatGPT:
Yes, that's right, Auguste! Now, it's time to pay. The cashier might say, "Det blir 75 kronor, tack," which means, "That will be 75 kronor, thank you." You can respond by saying, "Jag betalar med kort," if you're paying by card, or "Jag betalar kontant," if you're paying with cash. Both phrases mean "I am paying with card/cash."
You're doing really well! Swedish isn't the easiest language, but you're picking it up nicely. Keep it up!
Me:
Thanks. I say "Jag betalar kontant" and count out exactly 75 kronor. While waiting as the barista makes the coffee, you talk about cafe culture in Swedish - nothing too complicated - to test my understanding. Do not provide a translation immediately, but first see how much I understood.
ChatGPT:
That's great, Auguste! Now, while we're waiting, let me share a bit about Swedish café culture. "I Sverige älskar vi våra kaféer. Det är platser där vi tar en paus, träffar vänner eller bara njuter av en god kopp kaffe. Fika är en viktig del av denna kultur. Vi tar alltid tid för en fika, oavsett hur upptagen dagen kan vara."
Now, can you tell me what you understood from this?
Me:
Ok, I think you are saying that "In Sweden, everybody likes to go to cafés. There are places you can go for a break and drink a good cup of coffee [this is a long sentence and I don't think I understood everything]. Fika is an integral part of the culture. We always make time for a fika, as it helps you get through the day." I might need some help with that, haha.
ChatGPT:
You did a great job, Auguste! You got the main ideas. The longer sentence you mentioned was about cafés being places where Swedes take a break, meet with friends, or simply enjoy a good cup of coffee. So you were mostly right there.
But don't worry, Swedish is a tricky language to learn and you're doing wonderfully. Keep practicing like this and soon you'll be quite proficient. Shall we continue our fika?
Me:
Could you give me a direct translation of the whole paragraph? Yes, absolutely, let's continue our fika, this is a great way to learn and relax at the same time.
ChatGPT:
Of course, Auguste. The direct translation would be: "In Sweden, we love our cafés. They are places where we take a break, meet friends or just enjoy a good cup of coffee. Fika is an important part of this culture. We always take time for a fika, regardless of how busy the day may be."
And I'm glad to hear you're enjoying our fika. It's indeed a pleasant and sociable way to learn. Let's continue with our conversation. Perhaps you can tell me about your experiences in Stockholm so far - first in English, and then we can work on how to express it in Swedish. What do you think?
Notes
- Google Translate tells me that Bjorn's translations are accurate, so that's good. However, knowing ChatGPT can be confident when saying wrong things it's definitely worth double checking if in doubt.
- In my first paragraph I asked multiple questions, and ChatGPT missed the first one. "I think I will enjoy participating in 'Fika'. How do you say that?" Admittedly, it was a little ambiguous in the context of the paragraph even if, in person, it would have been a natural question to ask. As always with ChatGPT, clarity and guidance goes a long way.
- I tried running some of ChatGPT's conversation through a text-to-speech app (Speechify's online version). I realised pretty quick that it won't work without some backend tweaking, as individual voices are language specific. However, one approach that just about works is to use the voice of the language you want to learn. When voicing the language to be learned - Swedish, in this case - it will sound correct. Voicing the other language (English, in this case) will sound jarring, but mostly understandable.
