AI Enables Foreign Language Study Abroad, No Travel Required IBM Research Blog

A student learning to speak Mandarin wanders into a marketplace on the streets of China on a sunny summer afternoon. Before long, two vendors approach and begin hawking products, trying to outbid one another. The student must now grasp what's being said and formulate an appropriate response using proper pronunciation to avoid being misunderstood. It's a challenging, yet common, scenario for anyone trying to learn a new language by interacting with native speakers and immersing themselves in a foreign culture. Fortunately, the student in this case is able to pause the unfolding scenario to check the accuracy and tone of her planned response.