Google is testing a brand new “Practice Speaking” feature in Search that may help users improve their conversational English skills. The company told TechCrunch that the feature is on the market to English learners in Argentina, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Mexico and Venezuela who’ve joined Search Labs, its program that enables users to experiment with early-stage Google search experiences.
According to the corporate, the goal of the experiment is to enhance a user's English skills by getting them to take part in interactive language learning exercises powered by AI that help them use recent words in on a regular basis scenarios.
Speaking Practice relies on a feature Google introduced last October to assist English learners improve their skills. While the feature, introduced last 12 months, allows English learners to practice speaking sentences in context and receive feedback on grammar and clarity, Speaking Practice adds the dimension of back-and-forth conversation training.
The feature was first discovered by one X userwho shared screenshots of the functionality in motion.
In the speaking exercise, the user is asked a conversation query to which they have to answer with specific words. According to the screenshots, a possible scenario may very well be for the AI ​​to inform the user that they wish to get in shape after which ask, “What should I do?” The user would then should say a response that features the words “exercise,” Contains “heart” and “drained”.
The idea behind this feature is to assist English learners carry on a conversation in English while understanding find out how to use different words accurately.
The launch of the brand new feature suggests that Google could also be laying the groundwork for an actual competitor to language learning apps like Duolingo and Babbel. This isn't the primary time Google has dabbled in language learning and education tools. In 2019, Google a function began This allowed search users to practice find out how to pronounce words accurately.