Method and system for learning a language

• US 6,341,959 B1
• Filed: 03/23/2000
• Issued: 01/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Inventec Besta Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Inventec Besta Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Chen, Fred H. Y., Gao, Hope H. R., He, Great W. H., Wen, Sayling
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Joe H.
• Application Number:
  US09/535,472
• Time in Patent Office: 677 Days
• Field of Search: 434/118, 434/156, 434/157, 434/159, 434/167, 434/169, 434/307.R, 434/308, 434/322, 434/323, 434/327, 434/350, 434/353, 434/362, 434/365, 345/173, 463/40, 700/86, 700/247, 706/11, 706/46, 706/47, 706/54, 706/62, 706/927, 704/2, 704/8, 704/9, 704/257, 704/258, 704/270, 704/275, 704/277, 705/5, 705/7, 705/14, 707/2-4, 707/500, 707/531, 713/321, 713/323, 358/1.1, 358/1.11, 358/1.15, 358/1.17, 358/1.2, 358/1.9
• US Class Current: 434/169
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/06 Foreign languages with audible presentation of material to be studied G09B5/04
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/02 of the type wherein the student is expected to construct an answer to the question which is presented or wherein the machine gives an answer to the question presented by a student
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 706/927 Education or instruction

Abstract

This specification discloses a method and system for learning a language. This invention takes the language data selected by a learner or a default test base as the learning content and improves the learner'"'"'s language ability through tests about the learning content. The learner is allowed to arbitrarily update the language data stored in a learning database. The system according to the present invention contains a grammar analysis engine. This engine analyzes the grammar of the language data in the learning database according to the grammatical rules collected and stored in a language grammar database, converts the language data in the learning database into test problems according to the problem models stored in a problem model database, and finally performs language tests using the grammar analysis processor and provides the test results (such as error analysis and explanation). This provides a language learning system that allows a learner to provide or update learning data and generates test problems accordingly.

Claims

1. A language learning system for learning a language through electronic devices, wherein said electronic device is personal computers (PC), notebook computers, handheld personal computers (HPC), or electronic translators, which system comprises:

a learning database, which stores language data that the learner needs;

a grammar database, which stores the grammatical rules of the language as the grammar basis;

a problem model database, which stores different sorts of test problem models to provide multiple choices of problem styles in a test for the learner to take; and

a grammar analysis engine, which analyzes the grammar of the language data in the learning database, converts the language data into test problems according to the test problem models stored in the problem model database, and performs a language test and provides test results.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the language data in the learning database comprises texts, real-time news and articles provided by the learner.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the language data in the learning database comprises a test base designed in advance.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the grammar database includes at least one grammatical data selected from the group consisting plural forms of nouns, tenses of verbs, voices, active or passive voices, and word form transformations.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the problem model database includes at least one test problem model selected form the group consisting filling the blank, selection, sentence recombination and correction test problem models.

6. A method for learning a language through a computer, which comprises the steps of:

building a test system in a computer comprising a language learning database, a grammar database, a problem model database, and a grammar analysis engine;

selecting a sentence from the learning database as the test problem source;

selecting a test problem model from the problem model database;

analyzing the grammar of the selected sentence and storing it in a buffer;

generating a test problem by converting the grammatically analyzed sentence into a problem according to the selected test problem model; and

performing a test.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the learning database is built through the steps of:

entering the language data provided by the learner into the learning database;

separating the language data into individual sentences and storing them into a recording media accessible by the computer;

deleting repeated sentences; and

deleting sentences that the learner considers as unnecessary.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the step of selecting a sentence is performed by the learner.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the step of selecting a test problem model is performed by the learner.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein the step of analyzing the grammar of the selected sentence is to find the attribute of each word in the selected sentence.