How to use AI to learn languages! It is a good idea?
About eight years ago, when I first started teaching Portuguese, there weren't nearly as many technological tools available to help teachers create learning materials. I remember manually transcribing parts of videos just so my students could practice listening while following along with what was being said.
If I go back even further, to when I started learning English in 2012, technology-assisted language learning looked very different. I remember having a special pen that could read aloud from its accompanying book. At the time, that felt pretty innovative! So much has changed since then.
Today, AI has not only made my life easier as an instructor and curriculum designer, but I've also been watching my students find incredibly creative ways to use it in their own learning. And the results have been phenomenal! What excites me most is that students are no longer limited to the materials their teachers provide. They can create personalized activities, practice what they struggle with, and explore subjects they're genuinely interested in.
These are exactly the kinds of tools I wish I'd had when I was learning English. And that's why I want to share some of them with you, including a real example from one of my Portuguese students, Jake, and a few practical ideas you can try yourself!
Meet Jake: A student who uses AI to study.
Jake has developed a really interesting system for using AI to continue learning Portuguese outside our lessons. Instead of relying only on class notes or traditional vocabulary lists, he combines several tools to create his own personalized study experience.
Here's what he does:
1. Recording lessons and getting feedback with Fathom
Jake uses Fathom, an AI-powered meeting assistant, to record and transcribe our Portuguese lessons. This means he can revisit our conversations, explanations, corrections, and new vocabulary whenever he wants.But here's where it gets interesting: Jake also uses Fathom to generate reports about his performance, identifying areas he needs to improve, including grammar structures and vocabulary.
2. Creating vocabulary flashcards with Anki
Jake uses his lesson transcripts to identify vocabulary and expressions worth reviewing. He then uses AI to help turn that information into flashcards with Anki, an app that uses spaced repetition to help students remember information over time. I always loved Anki, but automatizing the process is definitely a plus.
With this approach, he is studying words and expressions that came up during his own conversations during classes with me! And because those words are connected to something he has already discussed, he has more context to help remember and use them.
3. Creating personalized Portuguese podcasts with NotebookLM
This is probably my favorite part! Jake uses Google NotebookLM to create AI-generated audio discussions with two AI hosts speaking in Portuguese about topics he is interested in and listens to that content every day of the week during the time he doesn't have classes with me. He created his own immersive experience while being able to make sure the content stays inside a comfortable and yet challenging zone to him.
For example, imagine you're studying the past tense in Portuguese. You would feed sources of your interest, vocabulary you want to practice and then you could ask NotebookLM: "Create a podcast in Brazilian Portuguese about traveling in Brazil. Use mostly pretérito perfeito and pretérito imperfeito, with vocabulary appropriate for an intermediate learner." Now you have a listening activity about a subject you enjoy, using grammar you're currently studying! You can listen while driving, exercising, cooking, or walking.
Of course, AI doesn't always follow every instruction perfectly, and it's important to check unfamiliar expressions. But think about how much time it would have taken us to create something like this just a few years ago! My recommendation is always taking these unfamiliar expressions to your instructors and debating their accuracy or variants.
5 Ways You Can Start Using AI to Study Portuguese Today
1. Practice real-life conversations with ChatGPT
One of the biggest challenges when learning a language is finding opportunities to practice. With ChatGPT, you can simulate situations you might experience in Brazil. Try this prompt: "I'm learning Brazilian Portuguese at an A2 level. Pretend you're a waiter at a restaurant in Brazil. Ask me one question at a time in Portuguese. Don't translate unless I ask. At the end, give me feedback on my mistakes at the end of our practice." You can practice ordering food, making appointments, asking for directions, or even preparing for a conversation with Brazilian friends.
2. Turn your class notes into flashcards
Copy your vocabulary notes or lesson transcript into an AI tool and ask: "Create 15 flashcards using the most important Portuguese vocabulary from these notes. Include the English translation and an example sentence in Brazilian Portuguese." You can then transfer those flashcards into Anki or another study app.
3. Ask AI to quiz you
Here's something I always tell my students: reading your notes and actually remembering the information are two different things! Instead of simply reviewing your notes, ask AI to test you. Try this: "Based on these Portuguese notes, create a 10-question quiz. Ask me one question at a time, wait for my answer, and explain my mistakes." This is a great way to identify what you already know and what you still need to practice.
4. Create listening activities about your interests
Love Brazilian music? History? Food? Soccer? With NotebookLM, you can upload relevant materials and create audio discussions about topics you genuinely enjoy.
For example: "Create an audio discussion in Brazilian Portuguese about the history of samba. Use intermediate vocabulary and focus on past-tense verbs." You can also use the tool to generate quizzes, flashcards, and study guides based on the materials you upload.
5. Ask AI to explain your mistakes (not just correct them!)
This one is especially important to me. If you write something in Portuguese and ask AI to correct it, you'll get a better sentence. But that doesn't necessarily mean you've learned something.
Instead, try asking: "Identify the mistakes in my Portuguese paragraph, but don't correct them immediately. Explain the grammar rules and let me try to fix the sentences myself." This way, you're actively participating in your learning rather than simply receiving the answers.
What Are Universities Saying About AI and Learning?
And it's not just language students experimenting with AI! Universities like Stanford, Harvard and Johns Hopkins are already exploring how AI can change the way we teach and learn. Stanford University's Center for Teaching and Learning encourages students to use AI in ways that support active learning, rather than letting it do all the thinking for them. Similarly, Harvard Magazine discusses how educators are redesigning assignments to help students engage critically with AI-generated content. At Johns Hopkins, where I am currently obtaining my masters, the school provides guidance on using AI to develop learning objectives, classroom activities, assessments, and student feedback. It also emphasizes that educators should always review and refine AI-generated content.
What I find interesting about all of this is that we're moving toward a world where students have more opportunities to personalize their learning. But there's something important we shouldn't forget: Having access to information is not the same as learning it. You can generate 100 flashcards in seconds, but you still need to practice remembering those words. You can create a conversation with AI, but you still need to develop the confidence to speak with real people in the real world.
Can AI Replace Your Portuguese Teacher?
As someone who loves technology and education, I'm genuinely excited about what AI makes possible. But I do not believe the goal should be to replace teachers. More importantly, I don't believe the human aspect of learning can ever be fully replaced by technology. Learning a language is about much more than memorizing vocabulary and producing grammatically correct sentences, you know? It's about understanding people, exploring different cultures, expressing your ideas, building relationships, and sometimes even discovering a different side of yourself.
When you're having a conversation with another person, you don't know exactly what they're going to say next, you cannot prompt them to use only grammar and vocabulary you are familiar with. You need to listen, interpret, react, and sometimes find creative ways to express something you don't yet have the vocabulary for. And there's something special about learning with other people: sharing experiences, laughing at misunderstandings, helping each other, and realizing that someone else is struggling with the same things you are.
This is something I care deeply about at TSB Brazil. I don't want my students to depend on me forever. I want them to become independent learners who know how to find resources, practice on their own, and continue improving even when they're no longer taking lessons. And watching students like Jake develop their own learning systems reminds me why this matters so much.
Technology can make learning more accessible and personalized. But human connection is what gives language its purpose.
At TSB Brazil, we believe in combining structured learning, independent practice, and meaningful human interaction.
That's why we offer different ways to learn and practice Portuguese:
Our Private Lessons provide personalized instruction based on your goals, interests, and schedule. It's a premium experience: you have private lessons, access to our newsletter, meetups, recordings of your class, our exclusive material, homework and so much more!
Our Semi-Intensive Portuguese Program offers 26 weeks of structured learning, with 10 hours of live instruction per week in small groups of up to four students. This is an accelerate program for those who can invest their time into an immersive experience without traveling abroad.
And our TSB Community brings learners together for weekly conversations about Brazilian culture, history, music, literature, and many other topics. Here you can connect with other learners while keeping your Portuguese alive for an affordable price.
Because at the end of the day, we don't learn languages just to communicate with machines. We learn them to connect with people. And that's what TSB Brazil is all about. Think. Speak. Belong.