LEARN: SOFTWARE FOR FOREIGN LANGUAGE VOCABULARY ACQUISITION FROM ENGLISH UNRESTRICTED TEXT

Abstract

This paper describes LEARN, a software system for computer assisted foreign language vocabulary acquisition. LEARN uses unrestricted text to assist in learning because its potential value is clear: unrestricted text can be chosen by the learner to suit the learner's own interests. LEARN processes English unrestricted text by translating selected English words in it into foreign words before presenting the text to the learner. Learners can then practice their foreign language vocabulary in the course of reading the text of their choice. Currently LEARN can translate a significant number of words into Chinese and Bengali. Ambiguity in translation is addressed by ‘word experts’, miniature expert systems, each of which translates some word from English into a particular language by examining its context. The natural path for the future of LEARN is to extend it by adding more languages, having it take input in languages other than English, adding more word experts, adding more extensive interactive hint facilities for helping readers, allowing it to be used seamlessly while browsing with a World Wide Web browser, and testing and evaluating its educational value.