Telegram bots for language learners

Telegram bots are apps that run inside Telegram. Telegram is a free messaging app with more than 1 billion users, you can download it from telegram.org. Once you've installed Telegram and created your account, search for the bot using its username or use the t.me link (see individual bot pages for details).

Multilingual bots (Verbarium, Jumblebee and Prattlebox) support either all or a large subset of European languages. Check the individual bot pages for details. Lacunae and Alkalimat support only Latin and Arabic respectively.

For the primary languages (English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Greek, Russian) the vast majority of the sentences you get in Verbarium are from real 100% human sources, not AI-generated. The one exception is the optional Easy Mode, which uses easy AI-generated sentences, suitable for beginners.

Jumblebee, Prattlebox and Alkalimat use AI-generated sentences. Lacunae uses original sentences from Latin authors.

Duolingo and Memrise are quite helpful for beginners: limited vocabulary, basic grammar and a carefully selected list of everyday topics, to keep things simple. However, if your goal is to move beyond the basics, you need a lot more. Our bots put you in control: it's up to you what words you are going to learn, from the basics to specialized vocabulary, literary words, rare and exotic terms – you get to decide. Make your own word lists or download ready-made ones (for example, we post a lot of word lists in many languages in our Telegram channel: t.me/verbicultura_channel).

Apps like Duolingo and Memrise (as well as most textbooks) usually offer exercises and texts that are written for learners or AI-generated. (In fact, according to the founder and CEO of Duolingo, all of their content will soon be generated by AI.) Most of the sentences you get from Verbarium are real-life sentences of 100% human origin, not written specifically for language learners. These sentences may be less predictable and often harder to figure out than the simplified stuff but that’s what makes them more interesting.

Duolingo and Memrise usually rely on translation: you will see your native language as often, if not more often, than the language you want to master. Words, phrases, idioms, everything is translated and you keep going back to the language you know rather than pushing away from it. Our bots never translate anything, letting you immerse yourself in your target language. (The one exception is Alkalimat but even there translation is minimal and is never shown automatically.)

Duolingo and Memrise use the active recall principle only in some activities. Verbarium is based on the active recall principle and uses it 100% of the time. That means you are expected not merely to recognize the word when you see it, but to actively recall it and use it in a sentence, going only by context. It’s the most effective way to learn new vocabulary bar none.

Duolingo, Memrise and many other apps expect you to make time daily and “do your homework”. Our bots, instead, run in the background 24/7. You don’t need to make time or find a quiet corner, because the bots are always there for you. Set any time interval – 30 minutes, for instance – and the bot will send you a new sentence every 30 minutes, wherever you are. This will keep your memory in constant readiness and it won’t be able to get into the “class over!” mode and reset itself.

Why not make your own lists? Write down new words as you encounter them and you'll always have a list ready for action. If you prefer ready-made lists, search online or join our Telegram channel (t.me/verbicultura_channel), we post a lot of word lists in many languages.

The number one mistake people make when using our bots is thinking of them as a kind of gym machines, to be used so many times a week for so many hours. Sure, you can use a bot for dedicated "workouts", or study sessions, by setting the message interval to 0 and working through 20 sentences in a row. There is nothing wrong with that. But if you only ever do it that way, don't expect spectacular results. That is not how our memory works. The real power of the bots is in making the words you wish to learn your constant companions throughout the day, every day. Don't think of it in terms of "sets" and "reps". Don't wait for the "right time" to use the bot. Set the interval to 30 or 40 minutes and leave the bot running all the time. Try to reply to each message as soon as it arrives. If you are too busy at the moment, no problem, the message can wait, just like any other Telegram message you may receive but not read immediately. Spaced repetition, a little and often, is key to memorizing anything.

Pro tip: try using the same word list in three bots (Verbarium, Jumblebee and Prattlebox) at the same time, setting slightly different intervals (for example, 30, 40 and 50 minutes). Yes, it will require a little more of your time, but the results will surprise you. Do it every day for a week and the words will become part of you. Your brain will have no choice but to assimilate them.

The Latin word cultura means (you guessed it) culture, cultivation, care. So, for example,
ager (field) + cultura = agricultura, agriculture
vitis (vine) + cultura = viticultura, viticulture, cultivation of the vine, winemaking
apis (bee) + cultura = apicultura, apiculture, beekeeping