CONTEXT-SENSITIVE LANGUAGE LEARNING

• US 20080131851A1
• Filed: 12/04/2006
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kanevsky, Dimitri, Fairweather, Peter G.
• Application Number:
  US11/566,463
• Publication Number:
  US 20080131851A1
• 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 5/06 with both visual and audible presentation of the material to be studied

Abstract

Techniques for context-sensitive language learning are disclosed. For example, a language learning system may include an interface for communicating with at least one user, at least one sensor for collecting at least one form of data regarding the context in which the system is being used, and a processing device capable of making at least one adjustment to the communication with the user based on analysis of at least a portion of the data collected by the at least one sensor. The data may include audio data, visual information, biometric data, location, or velocity and the sensors may include a microphone, a camera, a biometric sensor, a global positioning system (GPS) device, or a velocimeter. The system may also use this data, alone or in combination with schedule data obtained from an external source, to determine the attention level of the user and to make corresponding adjustments to the communication. The system may further be capable of tracking changes to the data collected by the sensor and/or the number and/or type of errors made by the user and making corresponding adjustments to the communication.

Claims

1. A language learning system comprising:

at least one interface for communicating with at least one user;

at least one sensor for collecting at least one form of data regarding a context in which the system is being used; and

a processing device coupled to the at least one interface and the at least one sensor, operative to make at least one adjustment to the communication with the user based on analysis of at least a portion of the data collected by the at least one sensor.

2. The language learning system of claim 1, wherein the at least one form of data is selected from a group comprising audio data, visual information, biometric data, location, and velocity.

3. The language learning system of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is selected from a group comprising a microphone, a camera, a biometric sensor, a global positioning system (GPS) device, and a velocimeter.

4. The language learning system of claim 1, wherein the processing device is further operative to determine the attention level of the user based on at least a portion of the data collected by the at least one sensor and making at least one corresponding adjustment to the communication with the at least one user.

5. The language learning system of claim 1, wherein the processing device is further operative to store at least one profile, comprised of at least a portion of the data collected by the at least one sensor.

6. The language learning system of claim 5, wherein the processing device is further operative to:

detect changes between at least a portion of the current data and at least a portion of the at least one stored profile; and

make at least one corresponding adjustment to the communication with the at least one user.

7. The language learning system of claim 1, further comprising a module operative to acquire data from at least one external data repository.

8. The language learning system of claim 7, wherein the repository is selected from a group comprising a computer, a personal digital assistant, a mobile telephone, and a smart watch.

9. The language learning system of claim 7, wherein the module is further operative to making at least one corresponding adjustment to the communication with the at least one user.

10. The language learning system of claim 1, wherein the module is further operative to tracking at least one of the nature and frequency at least a portion of at least one error made by the user.

11. The language learning system of claim 10, wherein the module is further operative to making at least one corresponding adjustment to the communication with the at least one user.

12. A method for facilitating language acquisition, the method comprising the steps of:

collecting at least one form of data regarding the context in which the method is being used; and

communicating with at least one user;

wherein the communication is based at least in part on analysis of at least a portion of the data collected by at least one sensor.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one form of data is selected from a group comprising audio data, visual information, biometric data, and location-based data.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of determining the attention level of the user based on at least a portion of the data collected by the at least one sensor and making at least one corresponding adjustment to the communication with the at least one user.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of storing at least one profile, comprised of at least a portion of the data collected by the at least one sensor.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

detecting changes between at least a portion of the current data and at least a portion of the at least one stored profile; and

making at least one corresponding adjustment to the communication with the at least one user.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of acquiring data from at least one external data repository.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the repository is selected from a group comprising a computer, a personal digital assistant, a mobile telephone, and a smart watch.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the module is further operative to tracking at least one of the nature and frequency at least a portion of at least one error made by the user.

20. An article of manufacture for facilitating language acquisition, the article comprising a machine readable storage medium containing one or more programs which when executed implement the steps of:

collecting at least one form of data regarding the context in which the article is being used; and

communicating with at least one user;

wherein the communication is based at least in part on analysis of at least a portion of the data collected by at least one sensor.

21. The article of claim 20, wherein the at least one form of data is selected from a group comprising audio data, visual information, biometric data, location, and velocity.