Microsoft took the wraps off a language learning app it described as “an always available, artificially intelligent” assistant.

The app, Microsoft Learn Chinese, uses speech and natural language processing technology to enable learners to practice speaking the language. It uses “a suite of AI tools such as deep neural networks that have been tuned…to recognise what the language learners are trying to say and evaluate the speakers’ pronunciation”.

Users get feedback in the form of scores, along with highlighted words which need improvement and links to sample audio to hear proper pronunciation. The machine-learning and neural networks powering the service are language-independent, Microsoft said.

The app was developed in the computing giant’s Asia research lab in Beijing. It is available for iOS devices.