Ailingo - AI Powered Language Learning
Revolutionize traditional language learning experience through AI
Timeline
August - October 2023
Device
Mobile Application
Team
Qisen Pan, Lechon Tong, Songfei Cao
Responsbility
UX research, Wireframe, Design Iteration, Mid-fi Mockup, Hi-fi Mockup, Prototyping
Challenges
English learners face high costs, generic content that doesnβt adapt to individual needs, and limited opportunities for real-world speaking practice.
Results
Our AI-powered app provides a cost-effective and personalized learning experience, offering tailored lessons for all key language skills and real-time conversational practice with an AI agent, helping users improve English proficiency in an engaging and practical way.
What's the Problem We Are Solving
English learners in China encounter substantial obstacles in their journey to master the language due to the:
π° High cost of personalized instruction and tutoring
π€ Lack of adaptive and authentic materials
π€ Limited opportunities for meaningful real-world practice
What solutions we offer
An AI-powered language learning app equipped with
π¬ Conversational learning method to increase engagement and interaction
π€ Personalized agent to start a conversation at any time
π Resourceful and authentic materials generated by AI tailored to users' preferences
π£ Adaptive and self-paced learning path fit for users' current levels
but wait, how did we get there?
Desk Research
βCulture as a social process deals with the use of language and communication experienced by people in given circumstances. The process of learning a second or foreign language not only requires an individual to practice linguistic forms but also necessitates to become familiar with the culture of target language in order to interpret intercultural communicationβ
Ali, S., Kazemian, B., & Mahar, I. H. (2015). The importance of culture in second and foreign language learning.
βLack of communication skills, limited practical application, boredom and disengagement, lack of critical thinking, unauthentic contexts, fear of making mistakes, uneven skill development, limited cultural understanding, low motivation, and non-interactive classrooms are all drawbacks of traditional methods of teaching English.β
Carmen-Lidia Nistor (2023), Language Learning: Advantages and Disadvantages of the Traditional Methodology.
Researchers found thatβ¦
Statistics show thatβ¦
Chinese families spend an average of $2,000 to $4,000 π΅ annually on English lessons.
The annual expenditure on English learning in China is growing at approximately 15% π.
"Challenges involving Money, Culture, Materials and Practice all hinders the English learning in China to master English"
What we learned from Desk Research
Get a general sense about users
Primary Research
First, we published a questionnaire and collected 61 responses from those who are learning English in China, aged 16-28.
30% reported that Oral Expression is the biggest challenges in learning English
57.4% reported that Lack of Opportunities to Practice impacts their motivation
62.3% expected to learn English with adjusted levels of practice, and 60.7% expected materials tailored to personal interest
41% of them wished to communicate with someone to practice their speaking
Pain Points from Survey
Oral Expression is a big challenge in English Learning
Lack of Opportunities to Practice impacts the motivation to learn.
Personalized and Adaptive Learning Plan is in high demand.
Materials tailored to personal interest and hobbies are expected.
Empathize with the users
User Persona
To better understand users' needs, we conducted 12 interviews with our friends who are learning English or had learned English before, and summarized into two typical user persona, driving more empathy to our brainstorming stage.
For this project, what are we doing? πββοΈ
Based on our user research
User Pain Points
After conducting all these research, we found that our users are experiencing these pain pointsβ¦
π€ Lack of authentic materials tailored to interest and goals
π₯ Lack of opportunities to practice speaking skill in immersive cultures
πΆ Lack of interaction and engagement of learning, causing low motivation
πΆβπ«οΈ Learning path is not personalized and unable to track progress
How can we solve their pain points
Brainstorm & Ideation
In order to fulfill these needs in one product, simply building an app filled with these materials, functions, and services is impractical, costing too much effort and time. π π»ββοΈ
But, we have a new technology to add some magic: Artificial Intelligence (AI) οΌ
Why AI + Language Learning?
Personalization and Adaptability: AI leverages years of language learning data to create personalized experiences tailored to individual needs, ensuring learners receive targeted content and feedback to optimize their progress.
Access to Advanced Resources: AI utilizes large language models and extensive datasets to generate high-quality materials and realistic practice scenarios, bridging gaps in authentic learning resources and cultural immersion.
Scalability and Affordability: AI automates tutoring, resource creation, and real-time feedback, making effective language learning accessible and affordable to a wider audience, regardless of geographic or economic barriers.
βHarnessing the power of AI in language learning is like having a linguist in your pocket, adapting and evolving with every word you speak and every sentence you construct.β
To get better senses of AI Language Learning Apps
Competitive Analysis
We conducted a competitor analysis focusing on popular language learning products integrated with AI and analyzed their strengths and weaknesses specific to AI features.
AI + Language
Opportunities
π§π» Enhance Personalization
Develop a highly adaptive app that dynamically tailors learning materials and activities to user preferences, learning speed, and goals.
π‘ Contextual and Real-Life Learning
Introduce real-world simulations (e.g., ordering food, casual chats) using roleplay scenarios to bridge theoretical knowledge and practical use.
π¬ Active Feedback and Correction
Build an AI tutor that provides real-time feedback on speech, grammar, and writing, along with detailed explanations and alternative expressions.
π₯° Emotional Engagement
Incorporate empathetic AI that adapts to users' moods and motivations, offering encouragement and tailored feedback to maintain engagement.
To map out our product features
User Flow
As we have brainstormed for a few features to solve the pain points found in user research, we organized the features into a user flow in order to get a better sense about the product functions and the main wireframes that we need to design.
Sketch out the layout
Wireframes
Based on the user flows, we sketched out the main screens as follows:
Home Page
Reading
Speaking
Listening
Writing
Easy access to the class and topics on the home page
Categorize levels
Conversational interaction to read passages and get precise feedback
Communicate with an agent in a personalized context
Simulate the real-world conversation
Listen to practical materials such as news report to simulate reality
Test based on materials to promote learning
Write following a prompt and get detailed feedback on improvements and revisions.
We crafted on the details for each functions and pages in order to make the visual style consistent and pleasant for users to learn language.
Visualize our imaginations
High-Fidelity - Final Design
