Is it still worth learning a language in the age of AI

Is learning a foreign language still worth it in this AI era? It's a question that lots of language learners have. Think about it, the technology we have today is amazing. I'm speaking English right now, but YouTube can already translate and dub this video into Spanish, French, German, and more. There are even AI tools that can do this for live streams, adjusting my tone and lip movements to match the new languages. With such powerful technology available, you have to wonder, if AI can already translate everything, why do we still choose to learn foreign languages? What's the point? Most people will tell you it's about job opportunities or traveling. But what if I told you that's the wrong reason? What if the real value of learning a language has nothing to do with being practical? Today, I'm going to share with you why the true charm of learning a language has never changed. First, let me make something clear. If you see learning a language as a burden, a problem, or something annoying, then AI will always do it better than any of us. In that case, I'd suggest you just use translation tools or AI to help solve your problems. It'll save you a ton of time. However, if you enjoy learning languages and see it as something fun, yet in recent years, you felt a bit shaken by how fast the world is changing and started to question your choice, then this video is for you. I hope it answers your question. Learning a language is not an investment. It's an experience. So you may ask, what exactly is the experience? So let's explain it with some questions. AlphaGo has already figured out every possible goal strategy. No human can beat AI at Go anymore. So why do people still sit down and play Go for hours? On Tinder, you can swipe right endlessly and eventually match with someone for a one night stand. So why do people still spend years dating, falling in love, and building deep connections? On YouTube, you can see stunning sceneries anytime you want from Beijing's Forbidden City to Shanghai's Oriental Pearl Tower without leaving your couch. And it's all free. So why do people still spend a fortune? To travel. That's what experience is. Experience is something you don't care if it's cost effective. Learning a language is the same. Here is a little story. I remember the first time I went to the US, my English wasn't good, and I was ordering a sandwich at Subway. The staff were nice, but the options in Subway, you know, it's like an alien language to me. Like, what kind of bread? What kind of meat? What kind of veggies? What kind of blah, blah, blah? I feel I only picked whatever I can recognize, like concuber. No, cucumber. It took like forever to get that sandwich, but I still got it. The sense of achievement at that moment was beyond words. I've already forgotten what that concuber sandwich tasted like, but I still remember the feeling clearly. My skill has leveled up. It feels like playing an RPG game on exploration mode, using your knowledge, gaining EXP and leveling up. I could communicate with people on the other side of the world and live a different kind of life. That feeling is great. It excites me. Because of this excitement, I went abroad. I worked in foreign countries. I made friends from different cultural backgrounds, and I started a YouTube channel and wanted to share this feeling. You're not just learning vocabulary or grammar. You're learning how to be human again, like a child learning to adult in a completely different way. If you are learning a foreign language, you know what I'm talking about. When you speak another language, you, yourself, almost feel like you've become a different person, right? The you who speaks English, the you who speaks Spanish, the you who speaks Chinese, what's different about them? Do they have the same catchphrase? Do they get angry in the same way? How do they chat with people? How do they flirt and fall in love? What kind of life will they experience? I know the world is big, and there are endless things to experience. But no matter how big the world is, everyone can only walk a small part of it. AI can show you every corner of the world, and it can master almost every language. But your life, only you can live it. AI can't experience it for you. I hope you enjoy writing every Chinese character stroke by stroke. I hope you enjoy saying a thank you when meeting a stranger who helped you. I hope you enjoy cursing in a foreign language. These experiences, only you can enjoy them. My name is Leo, an unknown Chinese teacher. I post some Chinese learning videos on YouTube, but that's just my personal hobby. These videos aren't precise or academic. All I can offer you is a bit of light entertainment in the vast ocean of cyberspace. The biggest value of these videos might be to give you some fun moments during your learning journey, help you enjoy the process a bit more. That's all. In this era, people like me, content creators, send endless information and resources to your phone. But please don't let all this information become your entire world. Because that will make you lose the real feeling of the world. The real world is the one right in front of us when we put down our phones. It's a world where you can actually have real life experiences. It's a world where you can truly communicate with real people. In real life, you still have to walk your path step by step and Chinese characters still need to be recognized one by one. Every sorry and thank you still needs to be said to a real person. Experiencing another life is the true charm of learning languages. I hope you enjoy this process. Thank you for listening. I'm Leo. See you next time. Bye for now.