Why I Still Learn Languages (Even in the Age of AI)

09 May, 2025

I get this question a lot.

“Do you still need to study languages? Can’t AI just translate everything now?”

And honestly, yes, AI can do a lot.
I’ve used Google Translate. I’ve used ChatGPT.
They’re amazing for what they do.

But for me, language learning was never just about understanding words.
It was about something else.

When translation is enough

If I just want to read the news, sure, machine translation is fine.
If I’m watching a YouTube video and need subtitles, it’s good enough.

I sometimes use AI to double-check my writing or look up a phrase.
It works.

But it only takes you part of the way.

The moment it breaks

Here’s where it stops working.

When I’m apologizing to someone in person
When I’m trying to understand a joke
When someone says something simple, but their tone says otherwise

You can translate the words.
But the feeling?

That part gets lost.

Language isn’t just for information

It’s for connection.

It’s how people express care, distance, awkwardness, respect.
It’s how silence works. How filler words soften a sentence.
How someone says “thank you” or “I’m okay” when they’re not.

I’ve learned Japanese and Korean for years.
And still, there are moments where I think I understand…
but I feel like I’m missing the whole point.

That’s what keeps me learning.

Machine vs. moment

I once used Google Translate to talk to a stranger in a café.
It worked.
We understood each other.

But it felt robotic.
Like I was typing through glass.

Later, I came back and tried again using my own words.
Broken, slow, full of mistakes.
But that second time, we laughed.

And that made all the difference.

Why I keep learning

I don’t study languages because I have to.
I study them because I want to.

Because there’s something magical about saying something and being understood.
Not by a machine. But by another person.

And yes, I asked AI to help tidy up this post.
But the voice? That part’s still mine.

Hai doesn’t always mean “yes”
Even simple words can shift meaning depending on tone.
Pookie — And the K-Pop drama behind the smile
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