This interview explores how artificial intelligence is transforming language learning through personalized materials, instant feedback, and more efficient study methods. Rüstem Temriyev emphasizes that AI should support learners rather than think for them, as genuine progress still requires effort, practice, mistakes, and active participation. Although translation technologies are improving, learning a language remains valuable for communication, intellectual growth, cultural understanding, and gaining new perspectives.
Learning Languages in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
An Interview with Rüstem Temriyev on Learning English
Ozan Dur: Could you briefly introduce yourself to our readers?
Rüstem Temriyev: My name is Rüstem Temriyev. For nearly twenty years, I have been working in the fields of language education, learning how to learn, skill development in adults, and educational systems.
I studied English and French language teaching at Istanbul University. Alongside my formal education, I also taught myself several languages. For that reason, I approach language learning not only as a teacher but also as someone who has personally walked the path of an independent learner.
Today, through Qurio Academy, I offer courses in English, AI-assisted learning systems, mind mapping, note-taking, routine design, and learning how to learn.
My basic approach is this: language is not merely knowledge; it is a skill. Simply teaching grammar, asking students to memorize vocabulary, or having them complete tests is not enough. Learners need to write and speak within contexts that matter to them, make mistakes, receive feedback, and try again.
That is my main focus: not simply teaching people English, but teaching them how to learn.
Ozan Dur: In this interview, I would particularly like to discuss “Learning English in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.” If time permits, I would also like to ask you about a few other language-related matters I am curious about.
In your view, what are the main advantages and disadvantages of learning a language in the age of AI? How is this technological transformation shaping the way we learn?
Rüstem Temriyev: The greatest advantage of language learning in the age of AI is personalization. In the past, it was very difficult to prepare materials tailored to an individual learner’s level, goals, mistakes, and learning pace. Today, AI allows learners to generate texts, dialogues, example sentences, writing exercises, and speaking scenarios suited to their own level.
Another major advantage is the speed of feedback. In the past, you would write a text and wait for your teacher to check it. Today, you can give your writing to an AI tool and receive feedback on grammar, word choice, sentence structure, fluency, and even style. That is an extraordinary opportunity.
However, there is also a serious disadvantage: AI can encourage learners to take the easy way out. If students ask AI to produce the sentences they should be producing themselves, genuine learning does not take place. In language learning, real growth begins precisely where the mind has to struggle.
AI can therefore be a learning tool, but it becomes harmful if it turns into a mechanism that thinks on the learner’s behalf.
I usually put it this way: AI cannot build your muscles for you. It can give you a workout plan, point out your mistakes, and show you how to lift the weight—but you still have to lift it yourself.
Language learning works in exactly the same way.
Ozan Dur: What should we pay particular attention to when learning English in the age of AI?
Rüstem Temriyev: The most important principle is this: we should use AI not merely to generate answers, but to improve our own thinking and ability to produce language.
For example, if a learner asks AI to write a text before attempting it themselves, that is passive use. But if the learner writes the text first and then says, “Show me my mistakes, but do not rewrite the text for me,” that is active use.
I generally recommend the following process to my students:
First, produce something yourself.
Then, ask AI for feedback.
Finally, write or speak about the same subject again in your own words.
This cycle is extremely important.
Another point to consider is the level of the material. AI sometimes generates texts far above a learner’s ability. The learner may not understand them but still imagine that they are “studying.” In reality, effective learning happens with material that is just slightly above your current level. If it is too easy, you do not grow; if it is too difficult, you become discouraged and disengage.
That is why you should always tell AI your level: “Prepare a text at B1 level,” “Simplify this text to A2 level,” or “Explain this topic at B2 level using simple examples.”
The people who benefit most from AI are those who know how to ask good questions. Learning a language in the age of AI also means learning how to give clear instructions and ask the right questions.
Ozan Dur: Does language learning still matter in the age of AI? What do you consider its most fundamental benefits?
Rüstem Temriyev: Absolutely. In fact, I believe the opposite of what some people suggest: knowing another language is becoming even more important in the age of AI.
Language is not merely a tool for translation; it is a way of thinking. When you learn a language, you do not simply learn words. You also discover how that language categorizes the world, forms relationships, and expresses thought.
Someone learning English, for example, does not merely learn to speak it. They also gain access to a wider range of sources, understand other cultures, reach academic knowledge more quickly, and move more independently in a global world.
AI can translate, but it cannot develop intuition on your behalf. It cannot always sense the tone, context, implied meaning, and cultural subtleties of a text as a human being can.
There is another very important point: learning a language changes the brain. It improves memory, attention, mental flexibility, and the capacity for abstract thought. Language learning is therefore not only a communication skill; it is also a means of intellectual development.
For me, that is its most fundamental benefit: it expands the boundaries of the human mind.
Ozan Dur: We learned languages through traditional methods. Speaking for myself, I used to read with a dictionary in one hand and a book in the other. Our resources were very limited. Could you explain how language-learning methods have changed from the traditional era to the modern one?
Rüstem Temriyev: In the past, language learning was largely a matter of patience and searching for resources. It was not easy to find a dictionary, a cassette, the right book, a good teacher, or content in the target language. The learning process was therefore slower, though perhaps deeper in some respects, because learners had to make an effort: they searched, took notes, and reviewed what they had learned.
Today, the problem has been reversed. We no longer suffer from a shortage of resources; we face an excess of them. In the past, learners asked, “What should I study?” Today, their problem is, “What should I leave out among all these options?”
The modern era offers enormous advantages. We have level-appropriate texts, videos, podcasts, AI tools, online dictionaries, pronunciation tools, speaking apps, and subtitled content at our fingertips.
Yet this abundance can also create distraction and confusion.
That is why I place great importance on having a system. An abundance of resources does not automatically lead to success. If learners do not know what to study, in what order, for how long, or how to put it into practice, the sheer number of resources will only confuse them.
What was missing in the traditional era was access to resources. What is often missing in the modern era is a clear system.
Ozan Dur: Approximately how long did it take to learn a language through traditional methods, and how much has that period been shortened in the age of AI?
Rüstem Temriyev: It is very difficult to give a precise figure because the learner’s native language, target language, study time, method, age, motivation, and previous language-learning experience all have a major effect on the process.
Still, I can offer a general observation. With traditional methods—especially in the absence of suitable materials and good feedback—it could take years to reach a functional level of English. Many people studied English for years and still graduated unable to speak it because the system focused mainly on factual knowledge, grammar instruction, and test-taking.
In the age of AI, this period can become shorter, but it does not become shorter automatically.
If learners use AI properly—for regular writing practice, speaking scenarios, personalized feedback, and reading and listening exercises suited to their level—their progress can accelerate considerably.
If AI becomes nothing more than a tool for getting easy answers, however, the process will not become shorter. Learning may even become more superficial.
This is how I measure the difference: in the past, a learner might wait weeks to receive useful feedback. Today, they can receive it within minutes. That speeds up the learning cycle, and as the cycle becomes faster, progress accelerates as well.
Effort does not disappear. The right kind of effort simply becomes more efficient.
To offer a more concrete estimate, imagine an ideal situation in which a learner can study with focus for an average of two hours a day. Starting from scratch, that learner could become comfortable enough within two months to express themselves and understand others in everyday situations abroad. If the goal is academic proficiency, the period may extend to five or six months.
At this point, AI can serve as a powerful resource for every language skill and as a valuable assistant in designing a personalized roadmap. The key is to follow the plan with discipline and use AI properly as a speaking and writing coach.
Ozan Dur: Will learning a language eventually become nothing more than a hobby or an intellectual pursuit? If the element of “need” disappears, how will we maintain our motivation?
Rüstem Temriyev: I do not think language learning will become merely a hobby. The need will not disappear entirely; it will simply change form.
Real-time translation tools will certainly improve. Technology may solve many problems in simple, everyday communication—ordering in a restaurant, asking for directions, or writing a short message, for example.
But deep communication is something else. Building a connection with someone in their own language, thinking in that language, understanding its humor, recognizing the meaning beneath a text, reading an academic paper directly, or responding spontaneously in a meeting cannot be fully achieved through translation alone.
As for motivation, we need to move from external motivation toward internal motivation. In the past, people were motivated by needs such as finding a job, passing an exam, or going abroad. Those motives will continue to exist. But the language learner of the future should also realize:
I am learning this language not only because I need it, but because I want to broaden my mind. I am learning it to make direct contact with another culture. I am learning it so that I can look at the world through several windows rather than just one.
That is a deeper kind of motivation. We did not abandon printed books when e-readers appeared. We did not forget the pleasure of cycling when electric cars became widespread. We did not give up the rhythm of thinking with a fountain pen and notebook when note-taking apps multiplied. We did not lose our appreciation for the imperfect beauty of film cameras when 120-megapixel cameras arrived. Nor did smartwatches make us consider the elegance of mechanical watches worthless.
On the contrary, as technology develops, our interest in what is physical, mechanical, and authentic often grows. Human beings seek not only speed and efficiency, but also contact, feeling, and experience. In my view, the experience of learning and living through another language belongs near the very top of that list.
Ozan Dur: In a world where instant translation devices have become flawless, might the thousands of hours spent learning a new language come to be regarded as “a waste of time”?
Rüstem Temriyev: Some people may see it that way, but I disagree.
By the same logic, we could say: calculators exist, so learning mathematics is a waste of time. Navigation systems exist, so developing a sense of direction is a waste of time. Food delivery exists, so learning to cook is a waste of time.
But life is not only about reaching the final result. The process transforms the person. Once again, we return to the question of experience.
When you learn a language, you do not merely learn words. You learn patience. You develop your attention. You exercise your memory. You encounter different ways of thinking. You even begin to understand your native language better.
An instant translation device gives you an outcome; learning a language gives you a capacity. The difference is enormous. In the future, learning another language may not be essential for everyone, but it will remain an immensely valuable intellectual investment for people who want to develop themselves.
Language will continue to be an important part of becoming a cultivated person, pursuing personal growth, and gaining new perspectives.
Ozan Dur: If you were starting a new language from scratch today and had access to only one AI tool, how would you plan your first thirty days?
Rüstem Temriyev: During the first thirty days, my aim would not be to speak fluently. It would be to become familiar with the language and build a basic learning system.
First, I would ask AI to explain the basic structure of the target language in simple terms. For example:
How are sentences formed in this language?
How are verbs conjugated?
What are the most important basic tenses?
What are the 300 most frequently used words?
Which expressions are most common in daily life?
Then I would divide the work across thirty days.
For the first ten days, I would focus on basic sentence structure and the most common expressions. I would form very simple sentences:
I am going.
I want it.
I do not know.
I am studying today.
I will go tomorrow.
During the second ten days, I would work with short dialogues and reading passages. I would regularly ask AI to create mini-texts suited to my level. I would read and translate each text, then identify and collect useful sentence patterns from it.
For the final ten days, I would begin producing more language. I would practise introducing myself, describing my daily routine, talking about things I like, and describing simple pictures.
There is one crucial point, however: during those first thirty days, I would not try to speak perfectly. I would try to understand the skeleton of the language.
When learning a language, I like to see the map first. Once you have seen the map, placing the details becomes much easier.
Ozan Dur: When you read or listen to a text produced by AI, can you sense that it is “artificial” thanks to your intuition as a polyglot?
Rüstem Temriyev: I can often tell, but we need to be careful here because AI is developing extremely quickly. In the past, AI-generated texts were easier to distinguish. They were too polished, too symmetrical, too general, and rather soulless.
Today, AI can produce more natural texts, though certain signs remain.
AI-generated writing is often excessively balanced. It may flow very smoothly, yet sometimes it carries no trace of lived experience. The sentences take few risks, and the ideas generally remain in safe territory. It tends to produce statements that are “correct on average.”
Human writing, by contrast, sometimes contains breaks and irregularities. Personal experience enters the picture. An unexpected comparison appears. Emotion rises in one passage, while the next sentence becomes strikingly simple. Human writing leaves a trace of the person behind it.
Still, it is not always easy to identify an AI-generated text that was produced with a strong prompt and carefully edited. Sometimes the real question is not whether AI wrote the text, but whether a genuine process of thought lies behind it.
That is the real measure for me.
Ozan Dur: If you do not mind, I would also like to ask a few questions that have been on my mind and that many people are curious about, drawing on your experience. What would you recommend to someone who wants to move from an intermediate level to an advanced level in a language?
Rüstem Temriyev: Moving from intermediate to advanced is one of the most critical thresholds in language learning. At the beginner stage, progress feels rapid. You learn new words, form basic sentences, and understand simple texts. Once you reach the intermediate stage, however, progress can seem to slow down.
The reason is simple: adding more information is no longer enough. You now need to transform and actively use what you know.
At this stage, I recommend focusing particularly on three skills: reading, writing, and speaking. But the order matters.
First, you need to read a great deal. Advanced expressive ability cannot develop without advanced input. Learners need to see well-constructed sentences, examine how complex ideas are expressed, and notice how words are used in context.
Next comes writing. Writing is the ability to structure thought. Many adult learners struggle to speak, but speaking is not always the real problem. The underlying difficulty is often that they have not sufficiently developed the ability to form sentences and organize ideas in their minds. Writing strengthens this ability.
Speaking builds on top of that foundation. A learner will not express an idea more effectively in speech if they cannot first construct it in writing. For that reason, I place great emphasis on writing when helping adults develop advanced speaking skills.
I would give the following advice to anyone wishing to move from intermediate to advanced:
Read every day.
Write several times a week.
Try to explain aloud what you have written.
Notice your mistakes.
Return to the same subject and express it better the next time.
Being advanced is not so much about knowing more things as it is about using what you know with greater flexibility and depth.
Ozan Dur: Could you explain in a little more detail the main methods you have used to learn several languages? Ma sha Allah, you know a great many languages. Which methods have you used, and what makes your approach different from others?
Rüstem Temriyev: My most fundamental approach is to see a language not as a school subject, but as a system.
When I begin learning a language, I first try to understand its skeleton. How are sentences formed? Where does the verb go? How do the tenses work? How do nouns, adjectives, and pronouns relate to one another? In other words, I first try to create a map in my mind.
Without this map, the words you learn remain suspended in the air. Knowing words does not mean that you can form sentences. To form sentences, you need to see the logic of the language.
Second, I always prefer to learn through context. Rather than memorizing lists, I learn words within sentences because a word’s true meaning emerges not in a dictionary entry, but in context.
Third, I make extensive use of comparative learning. I build connections between the languages I know. For instance, I compare how the same structure is expressed in English, French, Turkish, or another language. This helps me understand the language more deeply.
Fourth, I study aloud. I do not simply read silently. I say sentences aloud, repeat them, and form my own. Language is not learned through the eyes alone; the mouth, ears, rhythm, and body are all part of the process.
Fifth, I always produce something in the language I am learning. I do not stop at understanding what I read. I explain it in my own words, write a short summary, ask myself questions, describe pictures, and talk about my everyday life.
One of the most important differences in my approach may be this: I am not afraid of mistakes. To me, a mistake is not something bad; it is data. When a learner makes a mistake, the system is effectively saying, “There is a missing connection here.” If you identify and repair that connection, you improve.
I see this as a learning cycle:
You learn.
You practise.
You make a mistake.
You receive feedback.
You correct it.
You practise again.
Language learning is simply the process of repeating this cycle enough times.
Ozan Dur: When people first begin learning a language, should they generally focus more on listening or on reading? The answer may depend on their goals, of course, but at which levels would you place greater emphasis on reading and listening?
Rüstem Temriyev: It certainly depends on the learner’s goal, but for adult learners I believe reading is especially important at the beginning.
Reading slows the language down. Learners see the sentence, pause, look up a word, examine the structure, and read it again. This is extremely valuable for the adult brain. In listening, by contrast, the language keeps flowing. If learners do not yet have a sufficient grasp of the basic structures, they cannot catch what they hear.
Controlled reading is therefore particularly important at A1 and A2 levels. Parallel English–Turkish texts can be very helpful at this stage. Learners see the English sentence on one side and quickly grasp its meaning by reading the Turkish equivalent on the other.
From B1 onward, listening should be increased in a more systematic way, though learners should still work with transcripts. In other words, they listen first, then read the transcript, and finally listen again. This cycle greatly improves listening ability.
At B2 and above, listening becomes much more important. Learners should begin following natural conversations, podcasts, interviews, lectures, and discussions.
I do not, however, treat reading and listening as separate worlds. In an ideal system, reading supports writing, while listening develops the rhythm and natural flow of speech.
In short:
At the beginner level, reading provides a safer foundation.
At the intermediate level, reading and listening should progress together.
At the advanced level, listening deserves greater emphasis for spoken fluency.
At every level, however, reading remains the foundation of expressive power.
Ozan Dur: Thank you very much for accepting my interview request. I wish you every success in your work and studies. I hope this conversation reaches many readers and benefits them.
Rüstem Temriyev: Thank you. I am also very pleased that you have brought such an important subject to the fore.
In the age of AI, we need to rethink language learning. The issue is no longer simply finding resources. We need to build the right system, use the right tools, and manage the learning process consciously.
My central message would be this:
Use AI, but do not hand over responsibility for your own learning to it.
Language learning still requires effort, repetition, active production, and mistakes. Today, however, we have tools that can make this process far more efficient.
When used properly, AI can become an exceptionally powerful teaching assistant for language learners. Yet the human being is still the one who learns, and the real transformation still takes place within the human mind.
Ozan Dur
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