Foreign language teaching tool

• US 20030203343A1
• Filed: 04/25/2002
• Published: 10/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Milner, Edward Casteel
• Granted Patent: US 7,085,707 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/157
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/06 Foreign languages with audible presentation of material to be studied G09B5/04
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/08 Printed or written appliances, e.g. text books, bilingual letter assemblies, charts

Abstract

The present invention, foreign language teaching tool (FLTT), is a language translation tool that slowly introduces the student to different words in the foreign language while the student is reading a familiar text. The preferred embodiment of FLTT is on an e-book, but FLTT can be adapted to printed hard-copy texts. FLTT starts with an original text in the student'"'"'s native language and analyzes and translates the original text using a primary translation process. In the primary translation process, the original text is broken down into different grammatical units and then translated using a commercial computer translation package. A bilingual literature specialist then reviews the translated text and makes any necessary corrections in order to preserve the literary quality of the original text. Products of the primary translation process are an electronic copy of the original text, an electronic copy of the translated text, a correlation index showing a word-by-word and sentence-by-sentence correlation of the two texts, and grammatical unit index showing the grammatical unit breakdown of the two texts.

In the secondary translation process, the foreign and original texts and the correlation and grammatical unit indices are downloaded to an e-book. The student specifies the order, rate and frequency of introduction of foreign grammatical units. The secondary translation process uses these criteria to create a partially translated text, in which foreign words are used sparingly at first, but the amount and frequency of the foreign words increases throughout the course of the book. The reader is able to easily identify the words as they are used in the context of the reader'"'"'s native language. Furthermore, the reader is previously familiar with the storyline as the invention uses a text which is available to the student in his/her native language. Alternative embodiments are disclosed including a printed version of the present invention.

Claims

1. A translation method comprising:

analyzing the grammar of a text;

creating grammatical units based on said analysis; and

translating said text.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of reviewing said text.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of making a determination whether the translation of said text has retained the author'"'"'s literary intent.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of altering said translation of said text.

5. A translation method comprising:

accepting a specification containing information;

translating a first text based on said information to obtain a second text; and

displaying said second text.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising the step of downloading said first text.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein said information further comprises a specific order for a grammatical unit.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein said information further comprises a specific rate for a grammatical unit.

9. The method of claim 5 wherein said information further comprises a specific frequency for a grammatical unit.

10. The method of claim 5 wherein said first text is an original text and said second text is a partially translated text.

11. A method for teaching a foreign language comprising:

analyzing the grammar of a first text;

creating grammatical units based on said analysis of said first text;

translating said first text to obtain a second text;

accepting a specification containing information;

utilizing said first text, said second text, and said information to create a third text; and

displaying said third text.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of reviewing said second text.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of making a determination whether said second text has retained the author'"'"'s literary intent.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of altering said second text.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of downloading said first text.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein said information further comprises a specific order for a grammatical unit.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein said information further comprises a specific rate for a grammatical unit.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein said information further comprises a specific frequency for a grammatical unit.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein said first text is an original text and said second text is a partially translated text.

20. An apparatus for teaching a foreign language comprising:

programmable hardware;

software;

said programmable hardware being directed by said software to perform steps comprising;

analyzing the grammar of a text;

creating grammatical units based on said analysis; and

translating said text.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein said programmable hardware is further directed by said software to perform steps further comprising the step of reviewing said text.

22. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein said programmable hardware is further directed by said software to perform steps further comprising the step of making a determination whether the translation of said text has retained the author'"'"'s literary intent.

23. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein said programmable hardware is further directed by said software to perform steps further comprising the step of altering said translation of said text.

24. An apparatus for teaching a foreign language comprising:

programmable hardware;

software;

said programmable hardware being directed by said software to perform steps comprising;

accepting a specification containing information;

translating a first text based on said information to obtain a second text; and

displaying said second text.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein said programmable hardware is further directed by said software to perform steps further comprising the step of downloading said first text.

26. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein said information further comprises a specific order for a grammatical unit.

27. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein said information further comprises a specific rate for a grammatical unit.

28. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein said information further comprises a specific frequency for a grammatical unit.

29. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein said first text is an original text and said second text is a partially translated text.

30. An apparatus for teaching a foreign language comprising:

programmable hardware;

software;

said programmable hardware being directed by said software to perform steps comprising;

analyzing the grammar of a first text;

creating grammatical units based on said analysis of said first text;

translating said first text to obtain a second text;

accepting a specification containing information;

utilizing said first text, said second text, and said information to create a third text; and

displaying said third text.

31. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein said programmable hardware is further directed by said software to perform steps further comprising the step of reviewing said second text.

32. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein said programmable hardware is further directed by said software to perform steps further comprising the step of making a determination whether said second text has retained the author'"'"'s literary intent.

33. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein said programmable hardware is further directed by said software to perform steps further comprising the step of altering said second text.

34. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein said programmable hardware is further directed by said software to perform steps further comprising the step of downloading said first text.

35. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein said information further comprises a specific order for a grammatical unit.

36. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein said information further comprises a specific rate for a grammatical unit.

37. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein said information further comprises a specific frequency for a grammatical unit.

38. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein said first text is an original text and said second text is a partially translated text.

39. An apparatus for teaching a foreign language comprising:

means for analyzing the grammar of a first text;

means for creating grammatical units based on said analysis of said first text;

means for translating said first text to obtain a second text;

means for accepting a specification containing information;

means for utilizing said first text, said second text, and said information to create a third text; and

means for displaying said third text.

40. The apparatus of claim 39 further comprising means for reviewing said second text.

41. The apparatus of claim 39 further comprising means for making a determination whether said second text has retained the author'"'"'s literary intent.

42. The apparatus of claim 39 further comprising means for altering said second text.

43. The apparatus of claim 39 further comprising means for downloading said first text.

44. The apparatus of claim 39 wherein said information further comprises a specific order for a grammatical unit.

45. The apparatus of claim 39 wherein said information further comprises a specific rate for a grammatical unit.

46. The apparatus of claim 39 wherein said information further comprises a specific frequency for a grammatical unit.

47. The apparatus of claim 39 wherein said first text is an original text and said second text is a partially translated text.