Google Launches New Tool to Help Users Practice English Proficiency Skills
Google has announced the integration of a new feature into its search engine specifically designed to help users practice their English proficiency skills. Initially, this tool will be available to Android users in several Latin American countries, including Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, Venezuela, as well as India and Indonesia. The aim is to provide an English-speaking practice experience with personalized feedback for students who translate to or from English on their Android smartphones.
Christian Plagemann and Katya Cox, heads of product management at Google Research, explained that this new tool builds upon the already valuable language learning resources offered by Google Search, such as translations and definitions. The feature will offer instructions based on everyday life situations, allowing students to create their own responses. These exercises will be short and last between 3 to 5 minutes.
In addition to personalized feedback on their performance, students will have the option to sign up for daily reminders as encouragement to continue practicing. This tool is designed to enhance speaking skills and provide semantic and grammatical feedback. It also includes contextual translation, allowing students to tap on any word they do not understand for immediate translation considering its context.
According to Google, the challenge in developing this tool was accurately translating the entire sentence and then estimating the relationship between words in the original and translated texts. To ensure that students’ messages are understood by their interlocutors, the system incorporates guides that visually communicate the relevance and understandability of their responses.
Google has partnered with ESL/EFL linguists, teachers, and pedagogical experts to develop this speaking practice experience that aims to be effective and motivating. This tool is meant to complement other learning services and resources, including personal tutoring, mobile applications, and classes.
The design of the tool focuses on practicing vocabulary in authentic contexts and repeating materials at dynamic intervals to enhance retention. Academic partners, such as Lancaster University professor Judit Kormos, have collaborated with Google on this project. Kormos highlights the importance of being able to communicate in specific contexts, as it is often a skill lacking among language learners. She believes that this tool will be highly useful for complementing classes and other resources.
Learning a new language can open up various opportunities in an individual’s life, such as connecting with people from different cultures, traveling, and advancing in careers. However, mastering a new language can be challenging, with many students struggling to find opportunities for active speaking practice and practical feedback.
It is estimated that there are approximately 1.5 billion English language students worldwide. With this new tool, Google aims to address this barrier and provide users with the means to actively practice their English proficiency skills, ultimately facilitating their language learning journey.