Abstract:

The educational system has reached a new era for self-learners in which technology plays an increasingly prominent role.

New technologies such as apps and online learning help people integrate language learning into their busy schedules, making it possible to learn whenever and wherever they want (e.g. on smartphones). But what are the challenges of creating a digital self-learning product?

Big data and machine learning have been considered as problem solvers and some apps even claim to be able to eradicate didactical methods, promising learning success without them.

But ultimately, people want to be able to talk to humans – not to machines.
This is why Babbel puts didactics first; it will remain the gold standard for teaching languages. People should be able to communicate in real life with real people.
In order to do so, Babbel integrates proven didactical methods and new technology.

Instead of teaching abstract sentences, vocabulary and grammatical rules, the app teaches through real-life phrases and dialogues. Beginners start with typical greetings like, “Hello, how are you?” and gradually build up to practical sentences like, “How can I book a single room?” This method of learning through conversation teaches vocabulary and grammar both actively and passively. Babbel guides the brain to connect the dots by passively learning new information based on the dialogue’s context. This empowers you to actively use passively learned words, giving you the confidence to start talking right away.

Another important method that combines technology, didactical methods and personal experience is the use of spaced repetition. To send information from the short-term to the long-term memory, Babbel reintroduces words the user has learned through six memory stages. The data-driven ‘Review Manager’ moves these words through different patterns that are spaced out, allowing the brain to optimally store new knowledge.

A study has confirmed that it works. Researchers from the City University of New York assessed the efficacy of Babbel’s Spanish courses.
Users need on average 21 hours of study in a two-month period to cover the requirements for one college semester of Spanish.

Keywords:

e-learning, new technologies, smartphones, tablets, didactical methods, self-learning, research study.