More and more students in Japan are using artificial intelligence (AI) to learn English and other languages. The language-learning app Duolingo conducted a survey on how students study languages. More than 4,700 Japanese students answered questions about their language-learning habits. The survey found that the number of people using ChatGPT and other AI tools increased by more than 80 per cent in 2024. AI was particularly popular with younger people. The researchers said more young people used AI than took face-to-face lessons. However, some people in their 20s were not totally happy with AI lessons. They said AI lacked natural responses and was a little boring.

Duolingo said: "We're in the midst of an AI revolution.…Technology has long had an impact on language learning." It found that apps were the most popular method in Japan to learn languages. English was the most studied language, followed by Korean. People are studying Korean "to understand the language as spoken by…favourite artists and celebrities." Duolingo said around 58 per cent of people who took the survey used language-learning apps. This was followed by video streaming platforms like YouTube and Netflix (37%), textbooks (36%) and online lessons (16%). The number of people going to a language school is decreasing. Just 13.8 per cent of people went to classes with a teacher.