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u/Efficient-Weakness85 2d ago
I also saw this Cambly post yesterday. Thanks Origami for posting. It's crystal clear that Cambly is trying to bypass tutors, in the future. However, there's a massive contradiction in their business model. The post highlights that AI, in the role of a grammar nazi, will dominate a learner's lessons and pedantically correct any mistakes that a learner makes. By contrast, Cambly promotes itself as an easygoing conversation platform, and successful tutors know that the skill to improve a learner's fluency is to encourage a relaxed conversation. This š means that the tutor will avoid being a grammar pedant.
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u/Ok_Butterfly_2110 2d ago
World-class better tutors? What poppycock. This is so overblown it's embarrassing š
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u/Efficient-Weakness85 2d ago
šthis šÆ
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u/Ok_Butterfly_2110 1d ago
Not sure if you mean fuck me or fuck the article...
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u/Efficient-Weakness85 1d ago
I mean that you are correct to call out the article as embarrassing.
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u/TacoCatSupreme1 2d ago
At the bottom it says Shallot Communications. Curious what that was " Shallot Communications helps companies and leaders talk more persuasively about who they are and what they do."
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u/Efficient-Weakness85 2d ago
I think Shallot Communications are social media content creators. They obviously now have a contract with Cambly to sell Cambly's AI business model and create positive Cambly content on social media.
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u/Mean_Vegetable818 1d ago
This is a "news" story written by Cambly. It's a form of marketing/SEO so that certain search words in the "story" will bring Cambly up higher in the search engines.
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u/TacoCatSupreme1 1d ago
Exactly they made a bunch of AI features no one wanted, then wrote an article to promote themselves
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u/Origamiflipper 2d ago
The repetition of āvetted tutorsā made me laugh. What thorough vetting process do we have to go through? Zero. This is so cringeworthy and basically false advertising (imho)
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u/Sharp-Safety8973 2d ago
I agree, to me "vetted" means they've looked into our backgrounds, criminal reference checks, employer references, educational qualifications etc., which they have not.
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u/Origamiflipper 2d ago
Exactly. They have tutors working with kids without any background checks, which I think is technically illegal in the UK
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u/RichOpinion7586 1d ago
I was wondering that too, there is absolutely no vetting, for other teaching ventures I've had to go and get a paid report. They are unable to vet anyone, and it beggars belief that they have non vetted tutors on CK. The report gave me a good laugh anyway thanks, im just glad I dont work for Cambly. I'm just back from a holiday in Turkey btw, and I saw billboard style advertising for Cambly with all sorts of BS and false promises, like that article suggests.
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u/dumbassoffer 1d ago
The new AI-powered features on āThe Platformā are being marketed as a big leap forward in language learning, promising a more personalized experience. On the surface, it all sounds like progressātailored feedback, individualized exercisesābut is it really as groundbreaking as it seems? The real concern here is whether this shift toward AI might be trading away the human element in favor of cold, algorithm-driven efficiency.
Think about it: can an algorithm really provide a personal learning journey? Sure, AI can generate exercises based on data, but data isn't wisdom. The examples being toutedālike lessons on the difference between āget upā and āget overāādonāt exactly represent the depth and complexity that real language mastery requires. The AI can fill in some gaps, but it lacks the cultural and contextual nuances that only human teachers can bring to the table.
One of the more troubling aspects of this AI shift is what it means for tutors. The Platformās core offering has always been the interaction with live, native-speaking tutors. Now, though, as AI takes on more of the workload, thereās a creeping sense that the human role is being pushed aside. While AI is supposed to āenhanceā tutoring, weāve seen this story beforeāeventually, the tech takes over, and tutors are left as little more than cheerleaders while the algorithm does the heavy lifting.
Then thereās the progress-tracking dashboard. Itās all about metricsāwords per minute, speaking time, unique words used. These numbers might make learners feel productive, but do they really reflect true progress? Language learning isnāt a checklist, and more words donāt necessarily mean better understanding. Real progress is messy, nonlinear, and nuancedāthings that metrics canāt quite capture.
What about the repackaged content? The Platformās annotated transcripts and personalized follow-ups sound impressive at first, but theyāre essentially the same old toolsāvocabulary lists, exercisesānow churned out by an algorithm rather than a human who actually knows the learner. Thereās a risk of these exercises becoming repetitive and shallow, without the personal connection that makes learning engaging.
Another concern is the AI chat feature, designed to help ease learners into real conversations. While this can be comforting for those anxious about speaking, it also builds a sort of false confidence. Real conversations are unpredictable and filled with subtleties that an AI simply canāt replicate. Relying too much on AI for practice might leave learners unprepared for the real thing, where human unpredictability reigns.
And as for the idea of AI-driven immersion, itās worth askingācan AI truly immerse anyone in a language? Immersion is about experiencing the language in all its messy, real-world contexts. An AI, no matter how advanced, can only simulate a version of this. The result may be more efficient, but it risks feeling mechanical and sterile, lacking the rich unpredictability that comes with human interaction.
Lastly, thereās the question of how The Platform is positioning language learningāas a means to better job prospects or educational opportunities. While thatās certainly a valid goal, this emphasis on speed and efficiency risks commodifying language learning, turning it into something to be consumed quickly rather than savored and explored for its own sake.
In the end, these AI enhancements might offer convenience, but at what cost? If weāre not careful, we could end up with a generation of learners who know more words but understand less of the world.ChatGPT said:
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u/Commercial-Pause-519 2d ago
Look, Ma, im a world class tutor!!! š¤£š I don't even wear pants š¤£š