Nervous about making phone calls in Japanese? There's a web app for that!

I still get nervous about making phone calls in Japanese. Even after years of living here, I often find myself rehearsing what I'm going to say and mentally running through different scenarios before I finally pick up my phone and dial the number. 

A newly released free web app called JAWS 日本語じょうず is trying to make these everyday interactions a little less daunting for foreign residents in Japan.

JAWS 日本語じょうず allows users to practice real-life conversations with AI before having them for real, and I think it's one very positive use of AI! There are 50 scenarios to choose from, including 22 telephone situations and 28 face-to-face interactions at service counters, ranging from booking a hospital appointment to arranging collection of bulky rubbish.

Users can speak with an AI receptionist, which responds much like someone would during an actual interaction, including asking follow-up questions when answers are unclear. Afterwards, the app provides feedback and creates a handy conversation memo that can be referred to during the real call or visit.

It supports 11 languages, including English, Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean, and can be accessed through a browser without registering an account.

It's currently free to use, and I can think of quite a few situations where having a practice run beforehand would make life in Japan a little easier!