Automated language acquisition system and method

• US 7,052,278 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2001
• Issued: 05/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Renaissance Learning Incorporated (Raphael Holding Co.)
• Original Assignee: Renaissance Learning Incorporated (Raphael Holding Co.)
• Inventors: Johnson, Carol M., Nicol, Janet L.
• Primary Examiner(s): ADAMS, CHANDA L
• Application Number:
  US10/399,298
• Publication Number:
  US 20040029084A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,716 Days
• Field of Search: 434/156, 434/157, 434/167
• US Class Current: 434/156
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/06 Foreign languages with audible presentation of material to be studied G09B5/04
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/04 with audible presentation of the material to be studied sound recording or reproducing G11B

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and method for language teaching that involves training to an automatic level a set of core vocabulary items, and then presenting learned items in combination as a means of implicitly teaching grammar. In one aspect, a method for teaching a language, consistent with the invention, comprises: (a) while displaying to a learner a graphical representation of a vocabulary item comprising at least one word, playing to the learner an audio recording comprising the spoken form of the vocabulary item; and (b) while displaying to a learner both a graphical representation of the vocabulary item and the written form of the vocabulary item, playing to the learner an audio recording comprising the spoken form of the vocabulary item.

Claims

1. Apparatus for teaching a language, comprising:

a machine configured to display graphical images and having an audio output device for playing an audio segment associated with a graphical image, the machine further configured to teach a language by the following presentation sequence, all of which is exclusively presented in the language;

(A) an initial presentation in which a set of vocabulary items, each of which comprises at least one word is successively presented by successively displaying a graphical image of each vocabulary item and accompanying each graphical image of a vocabulary item with an audio segment comprising the spoken form of the vocabulary item, the audio segments accompanying the graphical images for at least some vocabulary items including phrasal structures that normally accompany those vocabulary items, respectively; and

(B) a subsequent presentation in which (i) vocabulary items from the first presentation are combined with other words to form a set of phrases or sentences and (ii) the set of phrases or sentences are successively presented by successively displaying a graphical image that correlates to each phrase or sentence and accompanying each graphical image with an audio segment comprising the spoken form of the phrase or sentence.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the machine is configured to present the set of vocabulary items successively at least one additional time by successively displaying graphical images of each of the vocabulary items and accompanying audio segments before the subsequent presentation of vocabulary items combined into phrases or sentences, and the machine is also configured to present the set of phrases or sentences and accompanying audio segments successively at least one additional time as part of the subsequent presentation.

3. Apparatus for teaching a language, comprising:

a machine configured to display graphical images and text material and having an audio output device for playing an audio associated with a graphical image and/or text material, the machine further configured to teach a language by the following presentation sequence, all of which is exclusively presented in the language;

(A) a first presentation in which (i) a set of vocabulary items, each of which comprises at least one word are successively presented by successively displaying a graphical image of each vocabulary item and accompanying each graphical image of a vocabulary item with an audio segment comprising the spoken form of the vocabulary item, the audio output accompanying the graphical images of at least some vocabulary items including phrasal structures that normally accompany those vocabulary items, respectively, and (ii) the set of vocabulary items are successively presented at least one additional time by successively displaying graphical images of each of the vocabulary items and accompanying audio segments;

(B) a second presentation in which (i) the set of vocabulary items are successively presented by successively displaying a graphical image and written form of each vocabulary item and accompanying each graphical image and written form of a vocabulary item with an audio segment comprising the spoken form of the vocabulary item, the audio output accompanying the graphical images and written forms of at least some vocabulary items including phrasal structures that normally accompany those vocabulary items, respectively, and (ii) the set of vocabulary items are successively presented at least one additional time by successively displaying graphical images and written forms of each of the vocabulary items and accompanying audio segments; and

(C) a third presentation in which (i) vocabulary items from the first and second presentations are combined into a set of phrases or sentences and the set of phrases or sentences are successively presented by successively displaying a graphical image that correlates to each phrase or sentence and accompanying each graphical image with an audio comprising the spoken form of the phrase or sentence, including the grammatical structure of the phrase or sentence, and (ii) the set of phrases or sentences and accompanying audio segments are successively presented at least one additional time.

4. A system for teaching a language, said system comprising:

a computer system, said computer system having a screen, an audio output device, and at least one memory device;

stored data comprising a set of vocabulary items stored in said at least one memory device, a plurality of audio segments that are exclusively in the language, and a plurality of graphical images, each said vocabulary item comprising at least one word, each of said audio segments corresponding to and comprising a spoken representation of a respective vocabulary item in the language, each of said graphical images corresponding to and comprising a visual representation of a respective vocabulary item;

a first set of machine-readable instructions in said at least one memory device that retrieves from said memory device a graphical image and audio segment associated with a vocabulary item from said set of vocabulary items;

a second set of machine-readable instructions in said at least one memory device that displays on said screen said graphics image corresponding to said vocabulary item, and substantially simultaneously playing via said audio output device said audio segment corresponding to said one vocabulary item; and

additional machine readable instructions in said at least one memory device, said additional machine readable instructions configured to (i) retrieve graphical images and play associated audio segments associated with the remaining vocabulary items of said set until the graphical images and associated audio segments associated with the remaining vocabulary items of said set have been displayed and played, and (ii) repeat the retrieval, display and playing of graphical images and associated audio segments for each of the vocabulary items of said set;

wherein the audio segments associated with at least some graphical images include phrasal structures that normally accompany the associated vocabulary items, respectively;

wherein said stored data further comprises a set of combination vocabulary items, combination audio segments, and combination graphical images stored in said at least one memory device, each said combination vocabulary item comprising at least one word from said set of vocabulary items and at least one other word, at least one said combination audio segment corresponding to and comprising a spoken representation of each said combination vocabulary item, and at least one said combination graphical image comprising a visual representation that correlates with each said combination vocabulary item;

wherein the system further comprises a combination set of machine-readable instructions stored in said at least one memory device, that (i) retrieves, displays on said screen and simultaneously plays on said audio device the graphical image and audio segment associated with one said combination vocabulary item from said set of combination vocabulary items and (ii) continues to retrieve, display on said screen and substantially simultaneously play on said audio device the graphical images and audio segments associated with each of the other combination vocabulary items from said set of combination vocabulary items; and

wherein said computer system is configured to execute the first, second, additional and combination machine readable instructions, in that sequence.

5. A system as defined in claim 4, wherein said first, second and additional sets of machine readable instructions are configured to retrieve and display on said screen the written form of the vocabulary items associated with said graphical images and audio segments.

6. A system as defined in claim 4, wherein said audio segments comprise recordings of each said vocabulary item spoken by a plurality of speakers;

and

wherein said additional set of machine-readable instructions retrieves and plays a recording of at least some vocabulary items spoken by a different speaker when the retrieval, display and playing of graphical images and associated audio segments for each of the vocabulary items of said set is repeated.

7. A system as defined in claim 4, wherein said audio segments comprise recordings of each said vocabulary item spoken by a plurality of speakers;

and

wherein said combination set of machine-readable instructions retrieves and plays a recording of at least some combination vocabulary items spoken by a different speaker when the retrieval, display and playing of graphical images and associated audio segments for each of the combination vocabulary items of said set is repeated.

8. A method for teaching a language, comprising the steps of:

providing a computer configured to display graphical images and text material and having an audio output device for playing an audio associated with a graphical image and/or text material,

teaching the language by the following presentation sequence, all of which is presented by the computer exclusively in the language;

(A) providing a first presentation in which (i) a set of vocabulary items, each of which comprises at least one word are successively presented by successively displaying a graphical image of each vocabulary item and accompanying each graphical image of a vocabulary item with an audio segment comprising the spoken form of the vocabulary item, the audio output accompanying the graphical images of at least some vocabulary items including phrasal structures that normally accompany those vocabulary items, respectively, and (ii) the set of vocabulary items are successively presented at least one additional time by successively displaying graphical images of each of the vocabulary items and accompanying audio segments;

(B) providing a second presentation in which (i) the set of vocabulary items are successively presented by successively displaying a graphical image and written form of each vocabulary item and accompanying each graphical image and written form of a vocabulary item with an audio segment comprising the spoken form of the vocabulary item, the audio output accompanying the graphical images and written forms of at least some vocabulary items including phrasal structures that normally accompany those vocabulary items, respectively, and (ii) the set of vocabulary items are successively presented at least one additional time by successively displaying graphical images and written forms of each of the vocabulary items and accompanying audio segments; and

(C) providing a third presentation in which (i) vocabulary items from the first and second presentations are combined into a set of phrases or sentences and the set of phrases or sentences are successively presented by successively displaying a graphical image that correlates to each phrase or sentence and accompanying each graphical image with audio comprising the spoken form of the phrase or sentence, including the grammatical structure of the phrase or sentence, and (ii) the set of phrases or sentences and accompanying audio segments are successively presented at least one additional time.