LingoTheory - Learn Chinese through conversation.

What is LingoTheory?

LingoTheory is an innovative platform designed to help users master conversational Chinese. It facilitates learning through interactive role-play scenarios, providing a practical and engaging way to improve language skills.

The platform focuses on enhancing comprehension and fluency by simulating real-life conversations with native speakers. Users receive immediate feedback on their input, allowing for continuous improvement and correction of mistakes. LingoTheory supports mixed-language input, enabling learners to use their native language when needed and receive guidance in Chinese.

Features

Interactive Role-Play: Engage in realistic conversations with AI characters.
Instant Feedback: Receive immediate corrections and suggestions on your language input.
Mixed Language Input: Use your native language when needed and learn the Chinese equivalent.
Progress Tracking: Monitor your learning journey and identify areas for improvement.
Voice Input: Practice speaking with voice recognition that understands both English and Chinese.

Use Cases

Practicing conversational Chinese in realistic scenarios.
Improving Chinese listening comprehension.
Receiving immediate feedback on Chinese grammar and vocabulary.
Building confidence in speaking Chinese.
Supplementing traditional Chinese language learning methods.

FAQs

Is LingoTheory good for beginners?

Yes, you can respond with English and begin by listening and asking for explanations of words you don't understand. It will be like speaking with a native speaker right away. Challenging but very rewarding. I would, however, recommend that you learn pinyin or zhuyin separetly as the AI conversations are not designed and capable of providing that type of instruction.
What languages are supported?

Only Simplified Mandarin Chinese is currently supported so that I can focus on making the best and most accurate experience possible given the specifics of the language. Other languages may be available soon, send an email to [email protected] if you have a language you would like to see supported.
How accurate is the AI?

The AI has an excellent handle on language use and will respond naturally like a native speaker would. There are several dimensions to the accuracy of the AI. The error rate for grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary is extremely low beating that of most expert speakers but the error rate in explanation or providing facts is higher. As an example if you ask for a translation the translation will be very accurate but if you ask for an explanation why a given sentence is incorrect it may occasionally provide an erroneous error.
Can I use mic input?

Yes! This is in fact the intended method of use. Press the microphone to start recording your voice and press the 'stop recording' button to stop. Speech is converted to text via an advanced AI model. It recognizes a variety of accents and is capable of understanding both English and Chinese speech. It's also a great way to know if your pronunciation is accurate or not. Innacurate pronunciation of chinese words is likely to end up being transcribed incorrectly or even register as a totally different language letting you know that you may need to work on pronunciation.
Do you have a mobile app?

yes and no. The first language tool I built is a flashcards + ai tool that is currently available on Android under the same name 'lingotheory'. The web version of lingotheory builds upon the knowledge I gained building that tool to provide more engaging conversations in a variety of scenarios. This updated version is only available via web at app.lingotheory.com and works well on mobile devices from the chrome or safari browsers.