A Journey Through Language Creation: Collaborating with ChatGPT-4 to Forge the Forellian Tongue and Test AI Translators

The Why

I just used ChatGPT-4 to generate an entirely (sort of) new language, embedded with culture and history, and then used another tool, Bing, to analyze and translate it. But before I go into detail about explaining what that language is, or even how I did it, let me first explain why I did it.

The rapid development of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools over the last few months has been disruptive for many people, particularly for those in my profession: education. If you follow my LinkedIn profile, you most likely have seen me conducting various experiments with generative AI (syntactic trees and task-based lessons for Klingon, anyone?, or taking a design-thinking approach for assessment tasks). Gen AI is opening up so many possibilities for educators, allowing us to rethink how we design, deliver and measure learning experiences.

Generative AI tools like ChatGPT-4 can be used to enhance or transform education, and this includes helping students develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills. Creating a new language requires a deep understanding of linguistic structures, cultural influences, and human cognition. Even if the language is fictional and useless. Even if the generated new language is not as robust as a real one.

By engaging in this process I needed to rely on problem-solving and critical thinking skills. I had to (1) analyze and interpret linguistic structures and cultural influences, both for my prompts and my evaluation of what ChatGPT-4 generated; (2) understand grammatical rules, vocabulary, and pronunciation problems; (3) decide what linguistic elements I wanted to keep, expand, or combine, and then consider the implications of each choice; (4) evaluate alternatives and challenges assumptions I may have made about how languages work; and (5) synthesize knowledge from various domains, such as existing languages, cultural influences.

So what did I do exactly ...

I crafted the Forellian language using ChatGPT-4 and put Bing to the test to see if it could decipher my new tongue.

The Birth of Forellian

This was not a one-prompt exercise. It took me a while to generate a new language that could potentially pass off for authentic speech of a mythical race in a blockbuster higher fantasy trilogy. Below is the prompt that started it all (typos included):

As our exchanges progressed, we (it almost felt collaborative with a real person) seemed to be creating a whole new language. Creating the Forellian language required a blend of linguistic components from its three main influences. With the assistance of ChatGPT-4, I also successfully created a language that reflects the Forellians' connection to nature and their nuanced cultural values. Below is one of the prompts I used to inform ChatGPT-4 about Forellian culture, a crucial element for any language development.

The Forellians are designed to be a kind and harmonious race that believes kindness requires strength and selflessness. They don't have a religion in the traditional sense, but they hold a deep reverence for nature and its complex systems. Chaos theories and complex systems serve as frameworks for understanding social phenomena in their culture. These elements are woven into the fabric of their language, giving it a rich and meaningful foundation.

From there we worked through various versions of the new Forellian language. We developed an alphabet, grammar, and vocabulary that seamlessly combined elements from Norse, Mandarin Chinese, and English. The resulting language has a unique phonetic and grammatical structure that still maintains recognizable connections to its source languages.

And like many languages, there are distinct cultural elements to the Forellian language. To further enrich the Forellian language, we crafted idioms, metaphors, and symbols that reflect the core beliefs and values of the Forellian people. These expressions serve to emphasize their connection to nature and the intricate interplay of life's complexities.:

We explored how to pronounce the new words:

I asked ChatGPT-4 to provide a breakdown of the words and their origins:

We also worked on the Forellian morphological structures based on a set of parameters.

I even asked ChatGPT-4 to write a recipe for banana bread in Forellian (note: it didn't create a new numbering system; perhaps, that's another project to explore).

And, like all cultures, I had to consider the Arts, so I asked ChatGPT-4 to generate a Forellian poem.The Forellian culture's deep connection to nature and its appreciation for life's complexities suggests that their preferred poetry style would incorporate vivid imagery, metaphor, and symbolism. Drawing inspiration from various poetic traditions, we crafted a Forellian poem that beautifully encapsulates the brevity of life and the eternal, timeless home that awaits beyond.

A Challenge for Bing

With the Forellian language developed, we set out to challenge Bing's translation abilities by inputting Forellian text and observing the results. the only prompts I used were providing a list of Forellian words and asking Bing to translate them. Unsurprisingly, Bing was able to decode and translate the newly created language ... for the most part. After all, both tools are based on OpenAI's GPT-4,and the Forellian is based on well documented languages that do exist.

Still, it's impressive that it could do this with minimal prompting. However there were some differences in translations. For example, ChatGPT suggests "Uppskrift á vindsbylgjum" means "Recipe on the wind (an unpredictable situation)", while Bing interprets it as "Recipe for microwaves" ... so not so unlike real life, I guess. Even chatbots struggle with cross-cultural communication.

Below are screen shots from my interactions with Bing, including Bing's interpretation of the Forellian poem!

Conclusion

The creation of the Forellian language has been a remarkable journey, made possible by the collaboration with ChatGPT-4. This experience not only allowed me to craft a unique and culturally rich language (well, sort of), but also offered valuable insights into the capabilities and limitations of AI translation models. It showcased how we can use AI tools that engage students in problem-solving or critical thinking tasks. And it demonstrates how engaging with AI can foster interdisciplinary collaboration and encourage students to delve into the complexities of linguistic structures and cultural influences.

And in case your are wondering who came up with the name Forellian ... ChatGPT-4 did, of course: