Google Steals Duolingo’s Lunch with AI-Led Language Practice Feature in Search

Prime Highlights : 

• Google launched an AI-facilitated English speaking practice tool within its Search platform directly. 

• The tool aims to help users improve conversational English with brief, interactive speaking exercises. 

Key Facts: 

• First available on Android phones in India, Argentina, Colombia, Indonesia, Mexico, and Venezuela. 

• Offers 3–5 minute practice periods with vocabulary cueing and custom feedback. 

• Developed by AI, such as the Deep Aligner model, and perfected with assistance from language professionals. 

Key Background: 

Google has moved significantly into the language learning field by launching an artificial intelligence-based English speaking practice tool within its Search function. Created to help make language learning more accessible and part of normal activities, the new feature enables users to take part in short, interactive speaking sessions that replicate real conversations. 

When someone is seeking English learning support on Android phones in some nations, they are prompted to start speaking practice sessions. Such practice sessions typically last three to five minutes and are contextual word practice. People are asked to respond to cues such as discussing an old trip or a regular daily routine using specific words. The system grades their responses, giving them feedback on sentence length, grammar, and pertinence to the question. Users can even tap on unfamiliar words to access contextual translations, so the experience is a learning and participatory one. 

The technology behind the feature is a product of exhaustive research in artificial intelligence and natural language processing. Google’s Deep Aligner model plays a key role in aligning the translations across different languages, improving the accuracy of speech recognition and feedback. Grammar correction models, previously used on written language, have now been modified to be used with speech transcriptions. These changes enable the system to be more resilient across a wide range of accents and ways of speaking. 

In order to be of educational value, Google collaborated with linguists, teachers, and English as a Second or Foreign Language (ESL/EFL) specialists. They provided input on content that is not just linguistically accurate but also usable for everyday communication. 

Although Google hasn’t publicly announced that it’s doing it to compete with the likes of Duolingo, this move certainly places it in the language learning segment. By making this capability available within Google Search — something which already has a following of billions — the firm is lowering the barrier to practice for English learners who are non-native speakers. It could change how students approach language learning by coupling it with casual use of technology, making it a convenient, practical, and personalized experience. As Google continues to push out this capability even further, it could change the fate of language learning digitally.