# How NativePal works

> NativePal is one practice loop: read at your level, save the words you meet, review them by spaced repetition, speak and get scored, and converse when you want to. Content and feedback are generated for your level by Google (Gemini) and OpenAI models; flashcard scheduling (SM-2) runs on the device; the app needs an internet connection and no account.

## The practice loop

1. Read at your level: a story on a topic you choose, written for your CEFR, JLPT, HSK or TOPIK level, with every word tappable.
2. Save the words you meet: any word tapped anywhere in the app lands in your personal dictionary with a translation, an explanation and examples.
3. Review them before you forget: flashcards and quizzes scheduled by spaced repetition.
4. Speak and get scored: read aloud on the teleprompter for a pronunciation score, or take the 60-second Daily Challenge for grammar and phrasing feedback.
5. Converse when you want to: scenarios for the situations you will face and open chats with characters, by text or voice, with corrections in the chat.

## What happens when you practise

Content is generated, not pre-written: stories, vocabulary lessons, word explanations and feedback are produced for your level by large language models from Google (Gemini) and OpenAI through their APIs. Speech is transcribed and analysed by the same class of models; pronunciation feedback names the sounds, stress and rhythm, fluency and connected-speech issues it hears and gives a score from 0 to 100. Flashcard scheduling uses the SM-2 spaced-repetition algorithm and runs on your device. Character voices use Google Cloud and OpenAI text-to-speech.

## Levels

CEFR A1 to C2 for most languages; JLPT for Japanese, HSK for Chinese, TOPIK for Korean. You choose your level; there is no placement test. Details: https://nativepal.app/levels/

## What it needs and what it stores

An internet connection for anything AI-generated. No account needed (anonymous sign-in). The AI providers do not use your data to train their models; see https://nativepal.app/privacy-policy.html

## What NativePal is not

- Not a chatbot with a language skin: https://nativepal.app/compare/chatgpt/
- Not a course with a fixed syllabus.
- Not an offline app, and not a human tutor: https://nativepal.app/compare/italki/

## Free and premium

Every feature has a daily free allowance; premium lifts the limits. Exact numbers: https://nativepal.app/pricing/

## FAQ

### Which AI does NativePal use?

Stories, vocabulary lessons, explanations and feedback are generated by large language models from Google (Gemini) and OpenAI, through their APIs. Speech is transcribed and analysed by the same class of models. Character voices use Google Cloud and OpenAI text-to-speech. The privacy policy names the providers and states that they do not use your data to train their models.

### Does NativePal work offline?

No. Anything generated or analysed by AI, which is most of the app, needs an internet connection. Saved words and flashcards are stored for your account, and flashcard scheduling runs on the device, but the app is not designed for offline study.

### How is pronunciation scored in NativePal?

You read a text aloud on the teleprompter. Your recording is analysed and you get a score from 0 to 100 with feedback on individual vowels and consonants, stress and rhythm, fluency and pacing, and connected speech. You can repeat the same text and compare attempts. Voice replies in chats get similar pronunciation notes.

### How does spaced repetition work in NativePal?

Each saved word is scheduled with the SM-2 algorithm, the same family of scheduling used by classic flashcard apps. After each review you mark whether you knew the word, and the interval before it comes back grows when you did and shrinks when you did not. Scheduling runs on your device, and flashcard review is unlimited on the free tier.

### Is NativePal just ChatGPT with a language skin?

No. A general chatbot gives you an open conversation and nothing else. NativePal generates reading and vocabulary at your declared level, scores your speech, schedules your review with spaced repetition, keeps your dictionary and progress, and offers chat as one tool among those. The comparison page sets out the trade-offs in both directions.

### Do I need to take a placement test?

No, and there is none. You choose your level for each language when you set it up (CEFR A1 to C2, or JLPT, HSK and TOPIK for Japanese, Chinese and Korean), and you can change it at any time. Reading, vocabulary and prompts are generated for that level.

## More

- [All features](https://nativepal.app/features/)
- [About NativePal](https://nativepal.app/about/)
- [Break the speaking barrier](https://nativepal.app/speaking-barrier/)