Using an AI chatbot to practice new languages can be helpful, but it doesn’t replace speaking with an actual person

About 30% of U.S. adults learning a language in 2025 used AI as a resource, per the piece, with chatbots like ChatGPT and Gemini offering voice practice, writing feedback, and simplified reading material. Research suggests these tools can build fluency and reduce the anxiety of making mistakes in front of a person, and one study of Chinese university students found chatbot listening practice outperformed teacher-provided materials.

But feedback quality varies, and a review of 51 studies found AI writing feedback can contain errors or misread intent, with some learners over-relying on it. A comparison of 10 language models found their cultural answers skewed toward Dutch, German, American, and Japanese norms even when asked to respond as someone from India or China, and one chatbot suggested an ideal job for a Dutch person involved touring cheese factories and windmills.

Privacy is also a concern, since chatbot services may record text and voice data, and students in a 2025 survey who liked chatbots more also worried more about feeling disconnected from real people.

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