What Does Our New AI Tool Mean for Tutors?
As you have probably seen, we have been developing a new AI-powered tool for users of our platform. We hope that our students will use this to have a fuller and more convenient learning experience with us. We are not the only English-conversation service to introduce a chatbot, but we aim for ours to be the best. Currently, students who want to use it must join a waiting list, but we plan to offer it to all of our users in the near future.
As tutors on our platform, we expect that you will have questions about what this service means for you, so let's explore how the service relates to tutoring and take a look at things that only our human tutors are able to provide.
What exactly is the new service?
Engoo AI is a tool that lets students practice various role-play scenarios with a chatbot. Currently, we have situations such as ordering in a restaurant, checking into a hotel and asking for assistance in a store. These are standard exchanges that most people would experience in daily life or when traveling abroad.
The chatbot is able to recognize mistakes and give users feedback based on their responses. It can even offer useful hints for students who aren't sure how to respond. Users can interact with the bot both through text and by speaking into their microphones. We think it will be a great tool to enhance their English-learning experience.
However, true person-to-person communication in English is the ultimate goal for our students. That means your work as a tutor is just as important as it has ever been. Let’s go over some details of the new service and see how it connects to you and your work with Engoo.
How Engoo AI works together with standard lessons
We have mentioned before on this blog how common it is to encounter shy students and those who are hesitant to speak. One of the biggest benefits of AI chatbots is that they give these students a chance to practice without fear of being judged. Practicing with a non-human partner will allow them to work out some of their most basic language issues and get over the initial feelings of shyness that are often a source of discomfort for them and difficulty for tutors.
Also, students of any level may use the chatbot to prepare for a lesson with a tutor by getting comfortable discussing a particular topic or by practicing usage of a specific grammar point. Additionally, chatting with the bot after a lesson will allow them to strengthen what they have learned, making them more likely to remember it for future lessons and conversations.
Taking advantage of this new service means that when students do book lessons with our tutors, they are likely to feel less self-conscious, more familiar with the material, and more confident in their ability to communicate.
Why AI is not a replacement for tutors
Most people would probably agree that recent advancements in the uses of AI technology are quite impressive. However, as a tool for learning language, it still has several disadvantages compared to speaking with humans. When comparing the two, the benefits of human tutors include:
Unlimited number of scenarios
The conversation scenarios available with the chatbot cover several typical situations that most students would find practical. Indeed, being able to practice a realistic exchange at a store or hotel is quite useful and beneficial. However, there is obviously no comparison to human tutors, who are able to talk about anything, including specific or unique scenarios a student may need help with.
Flexibility and empathy
An AI chatbot's ability to adjust how it interacts with students cannot compare to human tutors. Good tutors can recognize when changes are necessary and adjust the lesson so that it is appropriate for the student's pace, learning style and personal preferences.
This goes hand-in-hand with empathy, which humans are much better at than AI! Skillful and compassionate tutors will be able to tell when students feel overwhelmed by the lesson or discouraged by their rate of progress. Genuine encouragement and understanding coming from another person is something that cannot be replaced with technology.
Deeper feedback and insight
Engoo AI is able to offer feedback and corrections for things students say and write, and it even offers translation into other languages. However, this type of feedback is much different than the kind attentive tutors are able to offer.
Instead of being limited to only grammar and vocabulary corrections, tutors are able to introduce and teach about things such as sarcasm, humor and cultural references that would be difficult for AI to accurately understand or explain. This is in addition to things like visual cues and body language, which are often more important than just the words people say.
Up-to-date knowledge
While the core of the English language we teach to our students remains the same, all modern languages are in a continuous state of change. New words, idioms, phrases and meanings are constantly appearing, especially in today's fast-moving world fueled by social media. AI chatbots are trained with new information through regular updates, but human tutors will always be better at tracking, understanding and naturally explaining these changes as they happen.
Unique perspectives
AI chatbots offer a standardized experience regarding the English it can help students learn. However, our tutors come from countries around the world. These unique backgrounds also bring accents and insights into particular cultures that many of our students come to us for. More than ever, this is a time to embrace what makes you unique as a tutor and focus on bringing that special perspective to your lessons.
Wrap-up
In short, though we are proud of our new AI service, it is meant to work together with what our tutors already provide — it is not a replacement. As more of our users take advantage of this feature, tutors can look forward to students who are more knowledgeable of the basics, more prepared to speak, and more appreciative of the things you can offer them that AI simply can't.
