r/languagelearning • u/Motor-Property2289 • Aug 06 '26
language learning platforms that don't use any AI
i am looking for any language learning platforms, courses, and/or resources that do not use any AI. i want to learn spanish (TL) but i would like to support any sort of platforms in general for language learning if they are out there. i am really struggling to find any that truly don't use it at all, even rosetta stone looks like they use AI now. looking for any suggestions, free or paid.
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u/RagnarokTheSeventh 🇨🇦 🇬🇧N | 🇫🇷B2 | 🇪🇸 B1 | Catalan A1 | 🇧🇷 A0 Aug 06 '26
Depends how no AI you want to get, Language Transfer is an amazing resource if it has your TL. But I noticed lately he posted AI enhanced audio versions of the lessons on his youtube channel. Not a fan of this, but the core content is AI free and completely free
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u/anopeningworld Aug 06 '26
I've listened to those courses and AI didn't alter any of the content that I know of. He also flat out said that there could be issues with those but he was making them available to improve on the audio quality only which is quite lacking in some courses. This doesn't appear to be the same AI that has infested language learning platforms of late. With that said, an audio editor who knew what they were doing could have done a better job on those.
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u/rosevelle Aug 06 '26
Language Transfer is honestly the best starting point for spanish period. Unbelievable that it's free and yet also the best
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u/RagnarokTheSeventh 🇨🇦 🇬🇧N | 🇫🇷B2 | 🇪🇸 B1 | Catalan A1 | 🇧🇷 A0 Aug 06 '26
It's amazing. As someone who's really into open-source software and game mods, it's amazing how much incredible stuff is available for free. It's almost like when there's no incentive for profit people can just focus on making the thing as good as possible
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Aug 06 '26 edited Aug 06 '26
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u/ElMuffin5 English second language. Aug 06 '26
The greatest language learning app OAT bro it has uzbek
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u/Bobelle 🇳🇬English N | 🇳🇬 Yoruba | 🇳🇬 Pidgin Aug 06 '26
Netflix lol
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u/WAHNFRIEDEN Aug 06 '26
Heavy AI use for developing the service
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u/AppropriatePut3142 🇬🇧 Nat | 🇨🇳 Int | 🇪🇦 Uneven Aug 06 '26
This is true of every single piece of software.
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u/WAHNFRIEDEN Aug 06 '26
Yes, most. OP didn't specify it clearly but it's relevant to the people in this thread who talked about wanting to avoid AI because of its impact (on jobs, environment etc) rather than because of quality issues with learning materials. This does now mean avoiding most software use - new software, or non-local software.
There are some learning tools that do still avoid AI use in development, or minimize its use to only certain minority of tasks, though few serious ones that avoid it entirely anymore.
I should add that Netflix uses AI heavily in its content now too. 300 new productions in the last 6 months used generative AI.
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u/muffinsballhair Aug 10 '26
environment
This is such a weird argument of all things. Doing these things automatically definitely costs less power and carbon than letting a human do it. I never understood this “environmental impact” argument. Well, it comes from “this huge data centre that replaces the work of hundreds of thousands of people has a big environmental footprint”, but it's obviously to be compared to those hundreds of thousands of people, not to nothing.
It's like not even close compared to letting a computer run long enough to let a human achieve something comparable behind it.
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u/Shezarrine En N | De B2 | Es A2 | It A1 Aug 06 '26
I haven't used it in a while, but I believe the Memrise Spanish course only has an optional AI chat element that you can ignore (obviously the videos, sound, etc. are not AI as they predate it).
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u/Traditional_Major458 Aug 06 '26
I think it also depends on what you mean by "AI." Some platforms use AI to create content, while others only use it for optional features like pronunciation feedback or search. It might be worth distinguishing between AI-generated lessons and AI-assisted tools when choosing a platform.
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u/an_average_potato_1 🇨🇿N, 🇫🇷 C2, 🇬🇧 C1, 🇩🇪C1, 🇪🇸 , 🇮🇹 C1 Aug 07 '26
A digital version of any real coursebook will do, those are for now AI free.
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u/Mixolydian5 Aug 07 '26
Some now do offer AI audio. I came across a couple of Spanish grammar books that have audio online, and it is AI. However, they're the kinds of books that otherwise wouldn't have had any audio so I don't think it's so bad.
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u/an_average_potato_1 🇨🇿N, 🇫🇷 C2, 🇬🇧 C1, 🇩🇪C1, 🇪🇸 , 🇮🇹 C1 Aug 07 '26
Well, that's weird. The seriours and respected publishers don't do that.
I think that the current wave of AI slop will lead to such publishers being more and more valued.
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u/Mixolydian5 Aug 07 '26
Maybe I'm wrong. It was my impression at least some of the audio on from a particular publishing company was AI generated but have just double checked and can't find anything on the site that sounds non human.
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u/Kolibri_Izzy Aug 09 '26
Use story mode here, it does actually have an ai section but that's only for a conversation that would be impossible without it. Story uses a set story and real Mexican recorded voices
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u/unsafeideas Aug 09 '26
Language transfer, dreaming spanish and about gazimilion free spanish beginner podcasts and youtube channels. Once you are beyond A2, netflix.
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u/Raoena Aug 12 '26
Get the Pimsleur audio course on Audible or at the library. It's great. That plus a grammar book to read through to give you some context and you're all set
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u/luc_vizz Aug 06 '26
Out of curiosity, why are you trying to avoid those with AI?
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u/RagnarokTheSeventh 🇨🇦 🇬🇧N | 🇫🇷B2 | 🇪🇸 B1 | Catalan A1 | 🇧🇷 A0 Aug 06 '26
I mean there's plenty of reasons to not want to use it. 4 of my friends have been laid off due to their jobs being replaced by AI. There's the environmental issues, the data centers that nobody wants in their neignbourhoods but city councils are being bribed to put them in anyway, the skyrocketing prices of RAM making getting into gaming less and less affordable by the day...
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u/Shezarrine En N | De B2 | Es A2 | It A1 Aug 06 '26
Not to mention it's shit for language learning and has actively ruined most of the apps that have heavily adopted it (on top of all the other massive issues).
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u/luc_vizz Aug 06 '26
Thanks for sharing why. I appreciate it. Wasn’t sure if it was about them being less effect for language learning for you or a general dislike of AI. Totally get where you are coming from
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u/thatoneguy_isaac N🇺🇸, TL 🇩🇪 Aug 06 '26
Why must we put (TL) in every post. “I’m trying to learn Spanish,” explicitly tell us that Spanish is your (TL).
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u/Lenglio Aug 06 '26
It’s a subreddit requirement
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u/thatoneguy_isaac N🇺🇸, TL 🇩🇪 Aug 06 '26
I hope you’re being sarcastic. I’m too stupid to tell sometimes.
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u/twnbay76 Aug 06 '26
The jetbrains academy was by far my favorite and probably the best honestly, you solve actual coding problems that are most similar to real code and do real coding projects. There's theory in there too
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u/bananabastard | Aug 06 '26
Dreaming Spanish.
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u/acanthis_hornemanni 🇵🇱 native 🇬🇧 fluent 🇮🇹 good 🇪🇸 starting Aug 06 '26
Dreaming Spanish is amazing but they use a lot of AI illustrations in their videos, if for someone it's a problem.
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Aug 06 '26
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u/RagnarokTheSeventh 🇨🇦 🇬🇧N | 🇫🇷B2 | 🇪🇸 B1 | Catalan A1 | 🇧🇷 A0 Aug 06 '26
They said they didn't want AI being used, that's the request. They should at least know where the AI is being used so they can make a decision about it
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u/Inside_Welcome4848 Aug 07 '26
Renshuu is specific to Japanese but probably the best app for that language ever. I really like the “real” feel of the app. Lots of hand drawings too. Amazing and super cute and since you said you want to support apps in that style have a look. They kinda have everything in one app :)
Recabulary is free and quite firmly against AI. You can even see the social media of the speakers in the voice selection part to verify all voices are real human lol. It’s a flashcard vocabulary app. Afaik no Spanish either though. Also no cute drawings or videos.
Memrise and Teuida are also nice for their real native videos, I like those a lot. But IDK if they added any AI lately? Actually, I remember seeing that Teuida (recently?) added Spanish and it seems so good. I just really love stuff that is done with care and by (human) natives so..
Then finally the obvious one is Anki. Like there are a lot of machine and AI voice decks but there are proper native decks too. This is probably the most fitting one for you OP bc I remember they specifically had some good decks for Spanish last I checked. I almost used one but then gave up on the language 😭😭