Learn a Language with AR

Learning a language can be hard for adults. A popular approach is to learn the language the same way you would as a child - by seeing, pointing, touching, and so on. An AR app could put markers on objects around the student, asking them for the correct description in a foreign language. There are literally endless possibilities for integrating language learning into everyday-life through AR.

Benefits

Such an approach can make learning a language the way it should be - intuitive and interactive. That means students are more engaged in learning, and open up to the process. Learning a language experience-based and not through plain vocabulary makes it stick far more easily.

Challenges

Without AR goggles, experiencing the world around while pointing a phone at things is tedious. There also is the risk of not pulling out the phone to learn often enough. In order to learn a language to its full extent, students technically have to use the app multiple times in different life situations, just like one would use the language on a year abroad.

Take Away

Apps like that could revolutionize language learning. However, the correct usage is very important in order for them to be effective. As long as AR goggles are not widely available and still impractical for everyday carry, this system is not very useful - yet. But it can teach us about the great potential AR offers for education. There is also much room for innovation.

Examples

Mondly

Mondly is a smartphone app that builds a learning environment around so that you can interact with the world in a different language.

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DictionARy

DictionARy's mobile app gives you word definitions and explanation that appear in 3D space.

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