Recently, I discovered a YouTuber named Tantris, a young man who talks about the world from the perspective of an American living in Japan. I found his videos very interesting, so I subscribed to his channel and now watch his new videos whenever they come out.

Much of his content is about the differences between Western and Eastern thought and culture. In this video, however, he discusses the differences between English and Japanese while learning Japanese from Daijiro, a Japanese English teacher. Watching this video made me admire Tantris's strong desire to learn languages even more.

My opinion of Tantris's Japanese is almost the same as Daijiro's. His listening comprehension is practically indistinguishable from that of a native speaker. His reasoning is also very clear and consistent, which is not surprising given that he was already much better at logical thinking than the average Japanese person to begin with. I have no complaints about his speaking ability, either. However, Daijiro seems to be just as sensitive to the Japanese spoken by Americans as he is to the English pronunciation of Japanese people. If there is one thing Tantris could improve, it is his intonation, which sometimes differs from standard Japanese. Daijiro pointed out that correcting these small differences one by one could help him improve even further.

That is how close Tantris is to mastering Japanese. But as I watched him, a thought suddenly occurred to me: "Isn't this exactly the attitude I should have when learning English (and other languages)?"

Nowadays, powerful translation tools, especially ChatGPT, are readily available, and the need to learn foreign languages is increasingly being called into question. Yet watching Tantris exchange opinions and ideas with Japanese people at such a high level, without relying on translation tools, made me realize that this might be exactly what I have always wanted to achieve myself.

So, I decided to take this opportunity to reconsider how we should learn foreign languages in the age of advanced AI. To do so, I came up with the following game.

The Sentence-Building Game:

1. Think of something you want to express in your native language.
2. Look up words in a dictionary (Wiktionary only) and build a sentence by following the grammatical rules of the target language.
3. Ask ChatGPT to correct your sentence.

In this article, I would like to share my experiences learning English, German, and Spanish through this "Sentence-Building Game." For reference, here are my current levels in these languages:

• English: Intermediate learner
• German: Beginner
• Spanish: Still pretty much a noob

If one of these three languages is your native language or a language you are currently learning, I hope this article will be helpful to you. Even if none of them are, I hope you will enjoy watching a Japanese person struggle with three foreign languages and perhaps give some thought to how people approach learning languages that are not their own.

Finally, although I originally wrote the content of this article in Japanese, I used ChatGPT to translate it into English and then carefully reviewed the draft. Ideally, I would have liked to write the entire article in English by myself, but I decided to use this approach because I wanted to prioritize both speed and accuracy.

I have done my best to ensure that the content is accurate, but if you notice any grammatical mistakes, linguistic errors, or passages that do not make sense, I would greatly appreciate it if you could let me know.

TASK 1

私は個人的に「テクノロジーとアートの融合」にとても興味があるのですが、この国でそういったものが見られる場所ってありますか？

[Precip.24's note]

By the way, if you ever visit Japan, I recommend Yoichi Ochiai's null². I'm also hoping to make the trip from western Japan sometime soon.

ENGLISH

[Looked-up words]

• Nothing

[My Answer]

I am personally interested in "the fusion of technology and art." So, is there any place where I can see such things in this country?

[AI Correction]

• The grammar is correct, and the meaning comes across clearly.
• "Such things" sounds a little abstract or grandiose. You could use expressions like "such works" or "these kinds of exhibits" instead.
• If you're asking for recommendations about places to visit, "in the US" would be more appropriate than "in this country."

[AI's Answer]

I'm personally interested in how technology and art intersect. Are there any places where I can see this kind of work in the US?

[Precip.24's note]

• So they use the word "intersect" rather than "fusion". But this feels like a way of thinking that is quite far removed from how a Japanese person would naturally put it.

GERMAN

[Looked-up words]

• fusion -> Fusion
• place -> Ort

[My Answer]

Persönlich habe ich Interesse an "der Fusion von Technik und Kunst." Und, gibt es den Ort, in dem ich solche Dinge sehen kann, in Österreich?

[AI correction]

• I think the meaning gets across, but it sounds quite unnatural to a native speaker.
• Since you are not talking about one specific place, "einen Ort" would be better than "den Ort."
• The preposition used with "Ort" should be "an," not "in."
• "Persönlich habe ich Interesse" is not completely incomprehensible, but it sounds quite awkward. There is an expression, "Ich persönlich interessiere mich für...," so you should remember that.
• In German, "Fusion" is only used as a physics term. Something like "Verbindung" would probably be better.

[AI's answer]

Ich persönlich interessiere mich für die Verbindung von Technik und Kunst. Gibt es in Österreich einen Ort, an dem man so etwas sehen kann?

[Precip.24's note]

• German word order is just so bizarre! Whenever I try to put together a sentence using a relative clause, everything gets jumbled up. Maybe I have to live in a German-speaking environment for a while to overcome this.
• I often remember "Gibt es...?" as the German equivalent of "Is there...?" The fact that the noun that comes after it takes the accusative is another difficult point, isn't it?

SPANISH

[Looked-up words]

• personally -> personalmente
• be interested in -> Estoy interesado en...
• fusion -> fusión
• technology and art -> tecnología y arte
• of -> de, a, para
• Is there...? -> ¿Hay...?
• place -> lugar
• that -> que
• can -> poder
• such things -> estas cosas, cosas así
• to see -> ver

[My answer]

Personalmente estoy interesado en "la fusión de tecnología y arte." ¿Hay un lugar que puedo ver cosas así en México?

[AI correction]

• The first half sounds very natural. But the second half could use some improvement.
• Instead of "que puedo ver," there is a useful word, "donde," so remember that.
• Since we don't know whether such a place exists, it would be better to use the subjunctive "pueda" rather than the indicative "puedo."
• "Un lugar" is not wrong, but "algún lugar," meaning "any place," sounds more natural.

[AI's answer]

Personalmente estoy interesado/a en la fusión de tecnología y arte. ¿Hay algún lugar donde pueda ver cosas así en México?

[Precip.24's note]

• I'm embarrassed to admit that I'm still a noob at Spanish and haven't even fully learned the basic vocabulary yet. My writing is going to stay at about this level for quite a while, so please bear with me.

TASK 2

あなたの国を生きる若者の苦悩について描いた小説を何か知っていますか？

[Precip.24's note]

In Japan, I'd recommend Osamu Dazai's No Longer Human. My favorite novel in English is J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye.

ENGLISH

[Looked-up words]

• Nothing

[My answer]

Do you know any novels that depict the struggle of young people living in your country?

[AI correction]

• The grammar is completely correct, and the sentence sounds natural as well.
• If you say "Can you recommend any novels...," it sounds more like you're looking for a book recommendation, which is a nice touch.
• As an aside, you should also learn the expression "the challenges young people face."

[Precip.24's note]

• I got some positive feedback, and AI-sensei didn't even need to provide an alternative answer! I guess my English skills aren't for nothing, considering I once got good enough to teach English at junior high school.

GERMAN

[Looked-up words]

• to depict -> zeigen
• struggle -> Kampf

[My answer]

Wissen Sie ein Roman, der zeigt der Kampf junger Leute, die in Ihrem Land leben?

[AI correction]

• The meaning gets across, but there are several noticeable grammatical mistakes and unnatural expressions.
• "Einen Roman," the accusative form, is correct here, not "ein Roman."
• The position of "zeigt" is wrong. The correct form is "..., der den Kampf zeigt," not "..., der zeigt der Kampf."
• I think "Kennen Sie" is more appropriate than "Wissen Sie," because the question focuses more on a story that someone is familiar with.
• "Menschen" sounds more refined than "Leute," so you should remember that.
• "Menschen, die in Ihrem Land leben" is not wrong, but it sounds very Japanese. Something like "Menschen in Ihrem Land" would be just right.

[AI's answer]

Kennen Sie einen Roman, der vom Lebenskampf junger Menschen in Ihrem Land handelt?

[Precip.24's note]

• AI-sensei seems to have chosen to create a compound noun, "Lebenskampf." I've heard that German allows you to form words like this relatively freely, but it still seems pretty difficult for a beginner like me.
• Apparently, "handeln von" is an expression equivalent to "deal with," and it's something I definitely want to remember.

SPANISH

[Looked-up words]

• (do you) know -> ¿Sabe usted...?
• novel -> novela
• to depict -> representar, describir
• young people -> jóvenes
• struggle -> angustia
• to live -> vivir
• country -> país
• your -> tu

[My answer]

¿Sabe usted la novela que describe la angustia de jóvenes que viven en tu país?

[AI correction]

• The meaning gets across, but there is room for improvement.
• For "Do you know any novels," "qué novela" is more appropriate than "la novela."
• "Young people" would be better translated as "los jóvenes" rather than just "jóvenes."

[AI's answer]

¿Sabe usted qué novela describe la angustia de los jóvenes que viven en su país?

[Precip.24's note]

• It seems that quite a few things in Spanish change depending on whether you're talking to someone older or in a higher position, or to a friend... Come to think of it, I feel like every language other than English is like that. Each language has its own grammatical rules, which makes things pretty complicated.
• Spanish uses accent marks, but I've often seen them omitted by native Spanish-speaking friends and even in Spanish subtitles I've come across on YouTube. For native Spanish speakers, are accent marks not as strict or essential as dakuten (the marks that change certain Japanese sounds, like k to g) are in Japanese, or umlauts are in German? If any native Spanish speakers happen to read this, I'd really appreciate hearing your thoughts.

TASK 3

アメリカを訪れた際には、日本ではまだ実現していない無人タクシーに乗ってみたいです。

ENGLISH

[Looked-up words]

• Nothing

[My answer]

When I visit the US, I would love to try a driverless taxi which has not been realized in Japan yet.

[AI correction]

• The grammar is correct, and your meaning comes across clearly. The sentence sounds natural.
• "Realized" sounds a little too much like a direct translation from Japanese. "Available" would be a better choice. It would also be good to learn how to use words like "introduced" and "launched."
• Instead of using a relative clause, connecting the two parts of the sentence with "since" sounds more natural to a native speaker.

[AI's answer]

When I visit the US, I'd love to try a driverless taxi, since they aren't available in Japan yet.

[Precip.24's note]

• Another positive feedback! Thank you!
• I understand what "introduced" means, but it doesn't easily come to mind when I'm writing. Even though AI-sensei has taught me this new word, I'd rather focus on getting better at using "available" for now.

GERMAN

[Looked-up words]

• Nothing

[My answer]

Wenn ich den USA besuche, möchte ich das fahrerlos Taxi benutzen, das in Japan nicht noch verfügbar ist.

[AI correction]

• The meaning gets across, but there are still quite a few minor grammar mistakes.
• "Die USA" is a plural noun, so you need to use "die USA."
• Since you're talking about a driverless taxi in general, rather than a specific one, you should say "ein fahrerloses Taxi." Don't forget that "Taxi" is neuter, so the adjective takes the ending "-es."
• The correct expression is "noch nicht," not "nicht noch."

[AI's answer]

Wenn ich die USA besuche, möchte ich ein fahrerloses Taxi benutzen, das in Japan noch nicht verfügbar ist.

[Precip.24's note]

• I've made quite a few basic mistakes again this time. I think people could probably just about understand what I mean in conversation, but I want to gradually reduce these kinds of mistakes. German adjectives are seriously difficult, though, so I think it'll take me a little more time to get the hang of them.

SPANISH

[Looked-up words]

• When → cuando
• To visit → visitar
• The US → Estados Unidos
• Want to → querer
• To take a taxi → tomar un taxi
• Driverless → sin conductor
• Available → disponible
• In Japan → en Japón

[My answer]

Cuando visitará Estados Unidos, quiero tomar un taxi sin conductor, que no está disponible en Japón.

[AI correction]

• There are only a few grammatical mistakes, and the meaning gets across, but there is still room for improvement.
• "Cuando visitará" makes it sound as if the subject is someone other than "I." In this sentence, "visite" is the appropriate form.
• "Taxi sin conductor" is likely to be understood as "a taxi without a driver." "Taxi autónomo" is a safer choice.

[AI's answer]

Cuando visite Estados Unidos, quiero tomar un taxi autónomo, que no está disponible en Japón.

[Precip.24's note]

• Verbs, verbs, and more verbs! They're just so difficult! I'm barely keeping up with the fact that Spanish often leaves out the subject, since Japanese does that too. But Japanese verbs don't change their forms nearly as much as Spanish verbs do. Verb conjugation is definitely going to be my biggest challenge in learning Spanish.

That brings this article to an end. Thank you very much for reading it all the way to the end.

I think most of you have used Google Maps to find a route from home to a new school or workplace. Have you ever been surprised by how complicated its suggested walking routes can be? When you have to walk a fairly long distance, it often suggests a route that you would almost certainly fail to memorize on your first try. But after commuting along that route for a while, checking your GPS and trying different alternatives, you gradually develop a route that feels right for you.

As someone who can read and write English reasonably well, I have come to feel that language learning develops in much the same way. Even when two sentences express the same idea, I think there is a difference between "a sentence that reflects a way of thinking that is unmistakably American, and that an English learner would never come up with" and "a sentence that an English learner could reasonably come up with, too." Most of the expressions suggested by today's AI tools belong to the former category. However, my strategy is to steadily learn the latter kind of expression, hoping that this will eventually bring me closer to Tantris's level of mastery of Japanese.

On a completely unrelated note, even when I write fiction in my native language, I try to use the latter kind of expression: the kind that does not give a translator much of a chance to show off their skills.

Some people who enjoy reading novels say things like, "This author has a great sense of rhythm in their writing" or "Their expressions are beautiful." Perhaps because I have spent so many years seriously studying English, or perhaps because I have learned that I would almost certainly lose if I tried to compete on those rhetorical terms, I feel that I place greater importance on communicating ideas clearly.

That does not necessarily mean one kind of writer is better than the other. Just as people can find their own ways of living and fighting through life based on the circumstances they were born into, I believe life becomes more enjoyable when we think about how to survive in this world by making use of our own strengths, rather than focusing on the things we cannot do.

There is one condition, though: we can only do this when we have the mental space to think that way.