Show HN: Lex – learn languages by reading and writing, not just flashcards(lex-the-lab.vercel.app)
lex-the-lab.vercel.app
Show HN: Lex – learn languages by reading and writing, not just flashcards
https://lex-the-lab.vercel.app/languages
2 comments
Fellow language tool builder here.
1. I signed up and generated a B2 essay in French. Quality was totally fine, but I have to ask: if you're having trouble tuning prompts for the 30+ languages you've enabled, why are you starting with so many languages? Focus down until you hit traction with one or a handful that you yourself know well.
2. I wouldn't worry about unit economics based on the type of LLM use I noticed in the app.
More broadly: From going through my reading exercise, I got the sense actually that you're much more focused on writing and feedback on writing quality. Is that true?
1. I signed up and generated a B2 essay in French. Quality was totally fine, but I have to ask: if you're having trouble tuning prompts for the 30+ languages you've enabled, why are you starting with so many languages? Focus down until you hit traction with one or a handful that you yourself know well.
2. I wouldn't worry about unit economics based on the type of LLM use I noticed in the app.
More broadly: From going through my reading exercise, I got the sense actually that you're much more focused on writing and feedback on writing quality. Is that true?
Reading: leveled texts (CEFR A1-C2) or AI generated texts on a topic of your choice. Tap on any word when you read it to add it directly to your vocabulary! Writing: generate and/or compose an essay on a custom essay prompt, and receive AI feedback on structure, errors and an estimated essay level. Vocab: words that you save are used for spaced-repetition exercises (Flashcards, Match pairs, Fill-in Blanks, etc.).
For the generation and essay feedback, I used OpenAI, and for front and back I used Next.js + Postgres. But it's early and there is much I have yet to do. Here are two things I'm totally unsure about and would love to hear HN's thoughts on:
Quality of the AI essay feedback depends a lot on language, tuning prompts per language is harder than I thought. Unit economics: each essay check/retext creation is an API call and people want a language app to be cheap. Not quite sure of the sustainable pricing.
I am polyglot and speak a few languages myself, so this is very much a tool that I created out of my own frustration. This is as much feedback as they can get, and every "this already exists, it's called X" is welcome.