Set the languages your assistant speaks
The Languages tab decides which language your assistant leads in and which other languages it will answer in. For a language class this is the heart of the activity; for everyone else it is how you meet students who are more comfortable in another language. Set it to match the class in front of you.
Before you start
You need an assistant to work on. If you have not built one yet, create your first assistant, then come back to the Languages tab. It helps to know which language you want the activity to run in, and whether any of your students would benefit from being able to reply in a second language.
Build your assistant's language settings
The tab has two choices: the one language the assistant leads in, and any extra languages it is allowed to answer in. Set the lead first.
1. Open the Languages tab
In the assistant editor, open the Languages tab. You will see two fields: Primary language and Secondary language(s).
2. Choose the primary language
Primary language is the language the assistant leads the conversation in. Open the field, search for the language you want, and select it. This is the voice your students meet first, so pick the one the activity is built around.
3. Add secondary languages (optional)
Secondary language(s) are the other languages the assistant is allowed to answer in. Open the field and select as many as you need; the language you chose as primary is left out of this list automatically. Leave it empty if you want the assistant to stay in the primary language only. This is useful when some students follow better in their home language but the lesson still runs in the primary one.
4. Review and move on
Check that the primary language is the one you want students to meet, and that the secondary languages match the help your class actually needs. Use Back to return to the Material tab, or open another tab to keep editing. Your students see the updated languages the next time they start a session.
Data & safety
The Languages tab only sets how the assistant communicates. It holds no student information and needs no names or private details. The assistant follows the languages you set, but generated replies can still be imperfect, so treat it as a teaching aid you supervise. You can change the languages at any time.
Tips
- Set the primary language to the language of instruction for the activity, even in a language class. It keeps the assistant consistent for everyone.
- Add a secondary language when a few students need a bridge to their home language. They can ask in their own words while the lesson stays in the primary language.
- Keep the secondary list short. A long list rarely helps and can make the assistant switch languages more than you want.
Troubleshooting
The assistant answers in the wrong language. Check the Primary language, since that is the one it leads in. If students should be able to reply in another language, add it under Secondary language(s) as well.
I cannot add a language as secondary. The language you set as primary does not appear in the secondary list, because it is already the lead. Pick a different primary first if you need to free it up.
My students still see the old language. Language changes apply the next time a student starts a session. Ask them to open a fresh session to pick up the change.