Learn how to use Langua effectively (Conversations Help Guide)
Contents
What are the different conversation modes?
What types of conversations can I have?
How do I record myself speaking?
What if I don't know how to reply?
Can I slow down the replies if I don't understand?
How do I receive feedback and corrections?
Switching between AI models and voices
How to translate, save & learn new words & phrases
If I close a conversation, can I continue it later?
Getting help & giving feedback
What are the different conversation modes?
- Call mode: hands-free conversations with low latency. Feels incredibly realistic, you can even interrupt. Uses the latest tech so it may not work on certain older Android devices. Released recently, will gain more features over time.
- Standard chat modes:
- Listen & Read: the default. Sentences are highlighted as they're spoken, which can be disabled for slightly faster replies.
- Listen first: replies are hidden until you click on them - great for challenging yourself.
- Text only: use if you're not bothered about listening, they'll come faster.
What types of conversations can I have?
We've crafted numerous conversations that are designed to get you speaking and challenge you in different ways. Explore and see what works best for you:
- 'General' category: chat about your life or anything that interests you. You’ll be able to enter your interests and the AI will suggest stimulating discussion topics. If you chose 'general conversation', your partner will also learn facts about you from these chats, and reference them occasionally, just like a real person would (you can disable this in Chat Settings).
- Roleplays: choose from dozens of roleplays across travel, integration, work, and social life. Or choose 'custom' if you want to give the AI a topic and suggest roleplays based on that.
- Debates: popular with intermediate & advanced learners for practicing expressing opinions and arguments.
- Vocab & Games: let the AI blend your saved words into the chat and try to do the same. Other options include building a story together, describing things, and learning idioms.
- Grammar: a range of exercises that can be adapted to cover any grammar topic desired.
- 'Design my own': can't quite find what you're looking for? Create custom instructions for the AI and reuse them easily.
- Beginner course: an innovative conversation course, visible if you have beginner level selected. The course is in beta; we're working on improving and extending it.
How do I record myself speaking?
After you select a conversation, the AI will initiate it, usually asking you a question.
If you're using call mode, it's hands-free by default, the AI is always listening.
In the other chat modes:
- If you've turned on auto-record in Chat Settings, you can start speaking as soon as the button starts pulsing. As a new user, you may want to keep this off initially, and press the record button when you're ready to speak. This will give you time to translate words (by clicking on them) or even the whole message.
- Another option, Auto-send is generally best left off unless 100% hands-free is essential to you, as if you pause whilst thinking, it may send before you're ready.
- When you've finished speaking, you can either hit send or alternatively pause and check what you've said has been transcribed correctly.
You can maximise accuracy by speaking in a quiet room and turning recording off when you’re not speaking. Multiple AI models are available to you for transcribing your speech. You can learn more about how your speech is transcribed and how to avoid transcription errors here.
Note that in the mobile app you can press the X button to cancel a recording if you make a mistake. This button can also be used to quickly delete transcribed text and start again.
What if I don't know how or what to reply?
If you can't think of what you want to say at all, click the lightbulb button at the bottom. You'll then see two possible replies. If you wish to use one, you can translate it, listen to it, and repeat it.
You can also use Guided Mode. When you have this enabled in Settings, every time you need to reply, you'll see a suggested response automatically. This feature is very popular with beginners and A2 level learners!
If you don't know how to say a particular word or sentence, feel free to say it in your native language. The transcription models we use generally understand when you switch languages mid-sentence, though the accuracy varies by language and model.
Can I slow down the replies if I don't understand?
Yes, in chat settings, you'll find a speed slider with slower, normal and faster options. Rather than post-processing the audio, which results in speech sounding slurred and unnatural, the AI adapts the speed for more realistic responses. Some of the voices available are naturally slightly slower than others, so feel free to experiment.
If you just want to slow down an individual reply, press the turtle button.
Remember, there's no pressure - you can take your time, replaying the audio, reading and translating.
How do I receive feedback and corrections?
There are numerous ways to get feedback on Langua:
1) See written corrections, with words crossed out and bolded. Either enable auto-correction, or tap the pencil icon below your replies.
2) Alternatively, also under auto-correction in the chat settings, you can get the AI to verbally ask you to repeat corrected phrases. After you respond, it'll continue the conversation seamlessly. Note that this option will not apply in certain chats like roleplays, as it would take the learner out of the scenario.
3) When you end the chat and have replied at least 6 times, you'll see an option to generate a feedback report. Some learners love this as it provides detailed feedback, suggestions and even cultural tips.
Like humans, AI is prone to occasionally make mistakes. Please see here to learn why it's sometimes a good idea to check the provided corrections.
Pro tip: You'll also notice a wand button next to the pencil button below your reply. This will show you an alternative way of phrasing what you've just said. It's a powerful way to expand your vocabulary.
Lastly, on the mobile app there's also an audio summary. Listen to a brief recap, including key words and phrases, plus a cultural insight.
Switching between AI models and voices
Conversations on Langua are made possible by multiple AI models. One transcribes what you say, another works out how to respond and correct you, and yet another creates the human-like audio.
Our team tests different models frequently to ensure we're using the best tool for each job. This changes every few months as AI is progressing rapidly.
In your Chat Settings, you'll see you can switch between models. It's worth exploring to see which work best for you.
Occasionally, one of our AI model providers may have technical issues related to their infrastructure struggling to cope with growing demand. If this occurs, you can switch models. For example, if the AI isn't responding to what you've said, try changing the 'AI model'. We also try to switch models automatically in the background when possible.
The characters you chat with have voices cloned from real people, including well-known YouTubers we've partnered with in the language learning space! This is why they sound far more human than voices you'll hear on other apps.
You can explore the different voices available to you via the chat settings. For many languages, we have characters covering different dialects. The pronunciation and vocabulary is specific to the given country, making it a great way to prepare yourself for travels and living abroad!
How to translate, save & learn new words & phrases
Tap on any word and you'll see the translation, with various options below it, including other meanings, usage examples, and the option to translate the whole sentence. All of these can be saved by clicking the plus [+] button.
Want to translate a specific phrase instead? If using the app, hold down on the first word, then tap once on the last. For the website/laptops, you'll instead drag over the phrase, starting from within the text block.
To translate replies, you can either hit the translate button, or enable auto-translate.
You’ll find all your saved vocabulary over on the Cards / Vocab page. There, you can choose from various flashcard exercises. These apply a spaced repetition algorithm designed to optimize memorization. You can also enable randomisation and turn off the spaced repetition if desired.
In each exercise, you’ll try to recall the translation, then reveal the answer and mark whether you knew it or not. In the mobile app, you can speak and the AI will assess your response.
Alternatively, once you've saved at least 8 words, you can go to 'Vocab & Games' and the AI will blend your saved words into the conversation. This is very popular amongst learners as it encourages you to actively use the words in context!
Yet another option is to generate a short story that includes a selection of your saved words. 📖
On the mobile app, there's also a setting for learning some key phrases relevant to the conversation right before you start it.
Lastly, via the Cards / Vocab page, you can also import vocabulary and create word lists related to specific topics, as well as create sentences that use your saved words.
If I close a conversation, can I continue it later?
Yes, you can access all your conversations via the 'History' link in the menu. Here you can select any chat to jump right back in, as well as take other actions (edit title, delete, access feedback, audio summary, etc.)
Currently, the AI does not share memories of what you've said between conversations, so continuing a chat can help it remember what's already been covered. We plan to improve its memory this year.
Getting help & providing feedback
We hope this short guide has given you a solid understanding of how to use Langua to learn languages through conversations.
If you experience any technical issues, you can check this help article for specific solutions.
You can also reply to our emails if you still need support, or message us via our Help widget (see here if you can't find it).
Our small team is constantly working to make Langua better. Our users help us prioritise - you can suggest and vote on features here.
Thanks for reading! Don't hesitate to reach out if you need help getting started.