Personalized system and method for teaching a foreign language
First Claim
1. An interactive method for teaching a foreign language, the method comprising:
- a. displaying a translation of a target word selected by a user from a reading material;
b. testing the user'"'"'s assimilation of the target word using a recognition or reproduction technique;
c. evaluating results of the testing to obtain a measure of understanding; and
d. adding the target word to an active vocabulary associated with the user or retaining the target word as unassimilated, depending on the measure of understanding.
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Abstract
In one aspect, the invention is directed to an interactive method for teaching a foreign language. The method includes displaying a translation of a target word selected by a user from a reading material, testing the user'"'"'s assimilation of the target word, evaluating results of the testing to obtain an evaluation outcome; and adding the target word to an active vocabulary associated with the user or retaining the target word as unassimilated, depending on the evaluation outcome. Testing can be based on recognition or reproduction techniques. In preferred examples, the method further includes providing the reading material. In another aspect, the invention is related to a system for teaching a foreign language, the system including a link for requesting and receiving translation of a word from a global vocabulary and a module capable of generating drill exercises for prompting assimilation of the word.
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Citations
42 Claims
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1. An interactive method for teaching a foreign language, the method comprising:
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a. displaying a translation of a target word selected by a user from a reading material;
b. testing the user'"'"'s assimilation of the target word using a recognition or reproduction technique;
c. evaluating results of the testing to obtain a measure of understanding; and
d. adding the target word to an active vocabulary associated with the user or retaining the target word as unassimilated, depending on the measure of understanding. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for maintaining or increasing a user'"'"'s proficiency in a foreign language, comprising:
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a. storing a user'"'"'s vocabulary in the foreign language;
b. monitoring the user'"'"'s usage or recognition of words in the user'"'"'s vocabulary to determine the user'"'"'s active vocabulary and the user'"'"'s passive vocabulary;
c. presenting the user with drill exercises for words in the user'"'"'s passive vocabulary, thereby prompting the user to re-assimilate the words in the user'"'"'s passive vocabulary; and
d. transferring re-assimilated words to the user'"'"'s active vocabulary. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method for customizing reading materials to a student'"'"'s level of proficiency in a foreign language, the method comprising:
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a. obtaining a collection of reading materials in the foreign language;
b. comparing the words in each reading material with a student'"'"'s vocabulary in the foreign language, to obtain an overlap between each reading material and the student'"'"'s vocabulary; and
c. ranking each reading material according to the overlap, wherein a higher overlap between the student'"'"'s vocabulary and the reading material is indicative of a lower customized ranking in difficulty assigned to the reading material. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A system for teaching a foreign language, the system comprising:
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a. a translator linking words in a reading material to a global dictionary;
b. a communication link for requesting and receiving translation of a word in a reading material;
c. a module for generating and displaying a drill exercise using the word and for evaluating a user'"'"'s response to the drill exercise; and
c. a function for adding an assimilated word to an active vocabulary associated with the user.
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32. A system for teaching a foreign language, comprising:
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a. a collection of reading materials in the foreign language;
b. a link for a user'"'"'s selection of a reading material from the collection;
c. an interface for requesting and receiving a translation of a word in the reading material;
d. a module for generating at least one drill exercise to prompt assimilation of the word by the user; and
e. a module for adding an assimilated word to an active vocabulary associated with the user. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A system for increasing a user'"'"'s reading comprehension in a foreign language, comprising:
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a. an article in the foreign language;
b. a stemming unit for obtaining stems of words in the article;
c. a parallel version of the article wherein the stemmed words are translated from the foreign language into a known language;
d. a module for requesting and receiving a translation of a word in the article; and
e. a module for generating and displaying a drill exercise prompting the user to assimilate the word.
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42. An interactive method for increasing a vocabulary in a foreign language, the method comprising:
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a. reading a text in the foreign language;
b. requesting a translation of an unknown word found in the text; and
c. responding to flash card exercises designed to prompt assimilation of the unknown word into the vocabulary.
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Specification