Teaches Norwegian using artificial intelligence – NRK Vestfold and Telemark – Local news, TV and radio

– It is not so easy to learn a new language, but it is important.

Rama Ahmad is a student at the Norwegian school in Larvik. Here she learns the language with the help of artificial intelligence in the app Språki.

Her class has been involved in testing and developing it.

– It is very smart. It explains all difficult words for me. And make simple versions of difficult texts.

Språki is made by zealots at Larvik learning centre. As of today, it can be used openly without a password for anyone who downloads it.

For Rama, it has been an important tool. Among other things, she can speak Norwegian with it when she is at home.

Rama is a native speaker of Arabic, having grown up in Syria.

– I use it every day, since I’m going to learn Norwegian, she says.

Artificial intelligence as a hobby

One of the employees at the school, Gaute Thøgersen, got the idea for Språki.

He first looked online for a suitable tool with artificial intelligence. He didn’t find that.

So he started work on creating his own app for the school himself.

– We saw that artificial intelligence can help students learn Norwegian, if we use it in the right way.

– We first tried out how we can use ChatGPT. But then we found out that we could rather make our own adaptation, which is specialized directly towards language teaching, says Thøgersen.

In the past, he has also been involved in the development of technology for remote interpreting and teaching.

– Giving

The Språki project has received support from a government grant scheme. It has also required a lot of work both at work and in leisure time.

– It’s a lot of fun, but also a lot of work. Those who have been involved in coding and programming know that there can be a lot of mistakes and things you don’t get done. Several times we have started from scratch, says Thøgersen.

– Why have you spent so much time and effort creating Språki?

– It is very rewarding, especially when we see that people can benefit from it. A tool that no one else has, and that we would have to create ourselves if we were to have it.

Gives a feeling of mastery

The app can also translate texts into 47 different languages. There are most students from Ukraine at the Norwegian school at the moment, but the app can be used by anyone who goes there.

Lhizdell Lindhjem is from the Philippines. She uses Språki both at school, at home and in places she visits.

– If I take a picture, Språki helps me with what’s on the picture. It also helps me do homework that is difficult to understand. It gives me the feeling that I will be able to speak Norwegian, she says.

After the Norwegian students in Larvik have tested out Språki, others have also opened their eyes to the language app and how it works.

According to Thøgersen, major players have made contact and wanted to create an adapted version.

– The app can be downloaded by anyone, but we don’t get any income from it. Instead, we get some costs when it gets used a lot. So we have to see what we have to do if it takes off completely.

No threat to the teacher

When NRK visited, the class was taught by teacher Stine Marie Holm. She confirms that the language app is being used more and more.

– When I correct texts, I sometimes have to ask if they have used aids. Because the usual mistakes do not appear when they have received a lot of good help.

– You are not afraid of becoming redundant?

– No, I don’t think the teacher will ever be redundant. But we have to discuss how to use these aids in the best possible way. It is not only important to find the right word in the right context. We have to take care of the human side here too, she says.