Why is practicing conversations with chatbots inefficient for developing fluency?

Practicing Conversations with Chatbots is a form of conscious learning and is inefficient in developing fluency. It's crucial to understand that it fails to address key issues such as forgetting, cross-translation, and the inability to think clearly in English. ?

Chatbot practice, a form of conscious learning, involves explicit instruction and deliberate practice. It's beneficial for practicing existing knowledge and transferring passive vocabulary into active vocabulary. However, it's not the ideal environment for subconsciously acquiring new material and developing the ability to speak automatically.

While this can be beneficial for practicing existing knowledge and transferring passive vocabulary into active vocabulary, it lacks the environment necessary for subconsciously acquiring new material and developing the ability to speak automatically.

Developing fluency in real-life conversations for non-native speakers requires a different approach. It's not about conscious learning or chatbot-based conversation practice. Instead, it's about comprehensive subconscious training in all English skills simultaneously. This is the key to overcoming the limitations of conscious learning and achieving a fluency of about 150 wpm.

The cross-translation problem occurs when language learners mentally translate their native language to the target language rather than thinking directly about it. Chatbot interactions, being text-based and allowing time for mental translation, reinforce this habit, especially for non-native speakers with fluency of 60-70 wpm or less. Conscious learning often fails to develop the automaticity needed for fluent, natural conversation. The key lies in understanding the difference between conscious learning and subconscious training.

Conscious learning, which involves deliberate effort, active thinking, and explicit attention to rules and grammar, is different from subconscious training. Subconscious training, on the other hand, is a comprehensive approach that develops all English skills simultaneously, leading to automatic and fluent conversation.

Subconscious training occurs when you absorb information without conscious effort. It happens naturally by activating your subconscious mind by performing three actions simultaneously: reading, listening, and speaking. Learners practice in real-world contexts, which they create using GenAI. Chatbot conversations focus on one aspect (usually speaking or typing), neglecting the holistic language experience.

Instant Evaluation & Feedback: Many chatbots provide instant feedback, which can be counterproductive. Unfortunately, most ESL teachers believe corrective feedback is necessary as if our brains can forget errors and remember the correct words or pronunciation. Corrective feedback leads to frustration and anxiety and hinders language progress. We don’t consciously recall every word when speaking fluently. We speak by language patterns automatically, producing two or three words per second. To develop automaticity, we need to implement a new pedagogy of subconscious training.

Vocational Training: Since learners create the content, intermediate learners may use subconscious training on texts copied from the vocational knowledge base, thus combining fluency development and vocational training.

AI Web App Tutor (AIWAT) is a Better Alternative to Practicing with Chatbots:

AIWAT is designed to achieve fluency in any foreign language within a year thanks to four key innovations:

1.????? AI-powered personalized lessons created by learners.

2.???? Patented subconscious training across all language skills.

3.???? Student-centered approach through guided self-training.

4.??? Flow Speech Fluency Testing that develops and measures fluency irrespective of cognitive abilities.

In subconscious training, the known symbols of the language of thoughts are wired directly to the unknown words of a foreign language. Fluent speakers do not consciously think about grammar rules or recall words from memory. They speak spontaneously and fluently using implicit knowledge acquired through subconscious training, readily accessible in real-time communication.

Concrete examples of using AIWAT to learn a foreign language are demonstrated in this presentation: ?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEShejFlcfo&list=PPSV.

Conclusion.

I am addressing developers from the following companies to express their thoughts on the topic discussed in this article.

@Duolingo, @Mondly, @Eggbun Education, @Andy English Bot, @LanguaTalk, @EnglishCentral, @Promova, @Praktika, @TeacherAI, ELSA Speak, @Preply, @Promova, @Boldvoioce, @Open English, @DirectAI, @Flexge, @LooraAI.

All the aforementioned companies provide chatbot conversations aimed at developing fluency in a foreign language, with the expectation of achieving excellent results. This article explains why these expectations often fall short. To achieve unprecedented outcomes, we must abandon the outdated pedagogy of conscious learning and embrace the pedagogy of subconscious training.

I am offering free licensing for my two patents on subconscious training and free technical support to any company that demonstrates the courage and wisdom to integrate this innovative pedagogy into its products.