HelloTalk is the world's largest language exchange app, founded in 2012. The app connects language learners based on their native language and the language they want to learn, allowing them to practice and exchange language, culture and more. With support for over 160 languages and users from over 200 countries, HelloTalk is a truly global platform that provides a diverse and inclusive community for language learners.
“Microsoft's Azure AI services augment HelloTalk's AI learning tools and technical capabilities, allowing users to connect the world through language and culture exchange.”
Zackery Ngai, CEO, HelloTalk
HelloTalk’s Mission to Make Language Learning Fun
The key features of HelloTalk can be summarized with three keywords: diversified, accessible, and supportive. The platform is designed to be welcoming to all users and provides various learning approaches to cater to different learning needs. As its CEO Zackery Ngai says, “HelloTalk's vision is to be the world's most impactful platform for speakers of every language to gather, help one another learn languages, and build understanding through diversity.” The company’s goal is to make language learning fun and accessible. Different from a traditional classroom setting, HelloTalk learners can benefit from social interaction. For example, a native Chinese speaker who is learning English will be matched with a native English speaker who is learning Chinese, so learners can practice languages with native speakers and talk about different cultures from their phones.
Microsoft Azure's AI services play a key role in powering the features of HelloTalk, enabling language learners to have a more effective and immersive experience. These tools include real-time speech-to-text and subtitles in Voicerooms and live streams, text-to-speech in Moments posts and Chat, and pronunciation assessment in Moments posts and course dialogues. These services make it easier for language learners to understand the context of conversations, grasp the meaning of what is being said, improve their speaking skills, and enhance their overall language learning experience.
“With the help of Microsoft’s Azure AI services, we provide the tools for anyone with a phone and internet access to learn languages in a fun and communal way. Instead of rigid curriculum where one size fits all, learners now have more choice and can personalize their learning experience to suit the way they learn best.”
Vivian Li, Language Content Manager, HelloTalk
The Journey to Choosing Azure AI
The platform's partnership with Microsoft Azure AI was a result of a thorough due diligence process by HelloTalk's team. The platform was looking for innovation and services that could meet the needs of its users, and it found that Microsoft Azure offered the best services and value differentiation.
HelloTalk's team was confident in their choice of Microsoft Azure because of the comprehensive AI services offered, the world’s leading quality and language coverage, including text-to-speech, speech recognition, machine translation, and more. These services have allowed HelloTalk to improve the user experience on the platform and continue to play a crucial role in helping the platform achieve its mission of making language learning accessible and fun for everyone. “Microsoft's Azure Cognitive Service augments HelloTalk's AI learning tools and technical capabilities, allowing users to connect the world through language and culture exchange,” said Ngai.
The AI-powered learning tools provided by Microsoft Azure are a testament to the platform's commitment to making language learning as easy and accessible as possible. The speech-to-text service allows language learners to listen to any conversation while viewing multilingual subtitles for better understanding. Text-to-speech and machine translation services help language learners to read out chat messages and understand the meaning of their conversations, while the pronunciation assessment service helps learners improve their speaking skills. As Vivian Li, Language Content Manager says, “With the help of Microsoft Azure Cognitive Services, we provide the tools for anyone with a phone and internet access to learn languages in a fun and communal way. Instead of a rigid curriculum where one size fits all, learners now have more choice and can personalize their learning experience to suit the way they learn best."
HelloTalk Is More Than a Platform, it is a Community
In addition to the AI-powered learning tools, HelloTalk also provides a supportive community for language learners. The platform encourages social interactions and allows users to connect through chat, Moments posts, live streams, and Voicerooms. The social aspect of HelloTalk is what sets it apart from other language learning platforms and makes it a fun and accessible experience for all users.
Another key feature of HelloTalk is its diversified approach to language learning. The platform offers various learning approaches to cater to different learning needs. For example, some users may prefer to have structured conversations with a language partner, while others may choose to practice in the relaxed group setting of live streams and Voicerooms. HelloTalk offers these options and more, allowing users to choose the approach that works best for them.
Conclusion
HelloTalk revolutionizes language learning through its AI-powered learning tools, diverse approach, and supportive community in partnership with Microsoft Azure, leading to a fun and inclusive experience that promotes greater understanding between cultures.
“HelloTalk's vision is to be the world's most impactful platform for speakers of every language to gather, help one another learn languages, and build understanding through diversity.”
Zackery Ngai, CEO, HelloTalk
Follow Microsoft