🦾 3 AI Tools to Boost Your Language Learning Growth Today

Hey Reader,

Language learning is a trojan horse for self-mastery.

To succeed in your second language, you need to:

Have the courage to take action
Develop your self-awareness
Keep a growth mindset
Conquer your habits
Trust the process

These are the same things required to become your best self.

And by the end of this email, language learning will be your trojan horse for working with artificial intelligence (AI), too.

As an early adopter, techno-optimist, and overall futurist, I've always incorporated the latest tech into my products and services to help you maximize your learning time. That's why I've been doing my best to keep up with the latest developments in AI.

I know the terms 'AI' and 'artificial intelligence' might intimidate you, but I'm happy to report that the tools I've curated for you are beginner-friendly, simple to use, and freemium (for now).

Here are the 3 AI tools you need to add to your learning stack ASAP, and my tips on how to try them out today:

VIDEO MEETINGS

Vowel (vowel.com)

"Everything not saved will be lost."

– Nintendo 'Quit Screen' message 🎮

In the sports world, coaches and athletes reflect on countless hours of game film to prepare, adjust, and course correct. In business, there are quarter-ends, year-ends, and endless life-draining meetings in between.

So what are you doing to extract and act on the insights and feedback from your classes and coaching sessions?

Multitasking works for many things, but language learning isn't one of them. Your main focus on live calls should be to speak, reflect, and be fully present. But you can't do that if you're busy trying to capture every last detail in your notes.

That's where Vowel comes in.

I've been using Vowel as a Zoom replacement for over 2 years and now that they've incorporated AI, it's more powerful than ever:

Auto-generated action items to add to your task list
Automated meeting summaries to cut through the noise
Live, searchable transcription so you don't miss anything
Ask the AI anything about the meeting to get instant answers

Want to try the new AI features out? Schedule a check-in call with me and we'll give it a spin.

feedback + journaling

AudioPen (audiopen.ai)

"Can you ever know so much that you wouldn't learn more from trying to explain what you know? I don't think so."

– Paul Graham, Putting Ideas Into Words 📝

I'm a fan of all tools that incentivize and facilitate speaking, reflection and feedback. It's a big reason why I built Rocket Fuel and use it myself to improve my Brazilian Portuguese.

There's a lot of value in thinking out loud. It helps you distill your ideas, boost your self-awareness, and find clarity. And if you get mental block every time you try to write something down, it's a perfect gateway to start journaling, too.

But whether you're speaking or writing, distilling your thoughts isn't as simple in your second language. At some point, you reach your limit and can't improve it further, or be sure you're not making any mistakes. Rocket Fuel solves for this with human feedback. What about outside of Rocket Fuel?

The answer is AudioPen.

Similar to Otter, AudioPen lets you record voice notes (e.g. your reply to Rocket Fuel, an idea while you're driving, etc.) and get searchable transcripts. But there are 3 reasons it's 10x better:

You get a summarized version of what you said
You can change the length and style of the summary
You can change the output language of your voice note

In English, this helps me turn my rambling voice notes into coherent, actionable texts. And in Portuguese, it gives me a much better version of my Rocket Fuel reply, and shows me how to be more concise and upgrade my vocabulary.

Try it out for yourself here.

EVERYTHING ELSE

ChatGPT (chat.openai.com)

"This is not a race against the machines. If we race against them, we lose. This is a race with the machines. You’ll be paid in the future based on how well you work with robots."

– Kevin Kelly, The Inevitable 📚

The chatbot that started the latest AI craze deserves its own email, but for now, think of ChatGPT as a not-bad language tutor, study buddy, and personal assistant you can chat with 24/7.

Those questions you've asked me in the past via email, WhatsApp or in class? ChatGPT has a good answer, explanation, and infinite examples to show you (disclaimer: it's not 100% accurate, but acts like it is).

Here are some ideas (i.e. prompts) to get you started:

Review this text, show me my mistakes, and tell me how I can improve it [paste your text]
Give me sample sentences to help me remember [insert grammar rule you're having trouble with]
Ask me common questions I might be asked during [insert situation you want to simulate, like travel, presentations, or interviews]
We're going to have a conversation about [topic]. When you reply, please also include suggestions to help me be more concise in my replies.

You can try ChatGPT out here. Enjoy the magic.

school cafeteria 🍕

Things I consumed consciously while writing this

"Your job is to collect good ideas. The more good ideas you collect, the more you can choose from to be influenced by."

– Austin Kleon, Steal Like An Artist 📚

📺 What is ChatGPT & How Can It Be Used for Language Learning Steve Kaufmann (YouTube)

Steve Kaufmann is a former diplomat and hyperpolyglot who has been sharing his language journey online for decades. His YouTube channel is full of wisdom on language learning, like the video above.

🎧 669: Kevin Kelly – Excellent Advice for Living, The Tim Ferriss Show (Spotify)

Kevin Kelly is the co-founder of WIRED magazine and author of the bestselling book, The Inevitable. He just released his new book, Excellent Advice for Living, which is based on his popular, annual birthday lists of unsolicited advice. This interview is wide-ranging, but talks a lot about AI, sabbaticals, and learning.

📥 The Prompt: Everything in AI in 5 Minutes, Anita Kirkovska (email)

Lucky for you and me, one of my Flight Plan English alumni is on top of all things AI. Anita is a founder and builder who I'm happy to say is still learning by doing, and her newsletter is a must-read if you want to know the latest in AI. If you prefer social or just want to see her build in public, you can follow her on Twitter.

🎧 What Will AI Mean for Artists?, Inner Cosmos with David Eagleman (Spotify)

Another fascinating dive into the possibilities of AI as it relates to creators, but the lessons apply to anyone curious about using AI at work – or fearful about the second order effects. David is a neuroscientist at Stanford and the author of several bestselling books, including one of my recent favorites, Sum.

🔂 Technologic, Daft Punk (Spotify)

This is the first song I think of when I think of technology.

Tu nous manques, Daft Punk. 🤖

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Have a great week!

– Juan

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