EXP: Transforming World Language Education using Social Robotics

这个网络学习探索项目探索了社交机器人改变外语学习的潜力。在这个项目中开发的社交机器人被设计为学习外语的学生的语言伙伴，在这种情况下，那些学习汉语的学生。它补充了课堂教学，为学习者提供了一个机器人同伴来交谈。这个假设是，社交机器人可以让与说语言的人的互动更令人兴奋，更容易接触到，特别是对于不太常用的语言。这个虚拟机器人不仅可以与学习者交流，还可以指向、点头、示意特定的人和物体，帮助引导学习者的注意力，并以非虚拟模拟所不能的方式与学习者进行社交互动。PI采取基于任务的语言学习方法，帮助学生学习与各种现实世界情景相适应的语言。技术创新是社交机器人和社会模拟的综合，课堂语言教学通过机器人互动得到加强。在这个探索项目中，机器人被用于教室；随着这类机器人的价格下降，这种机器人可能会在课后、图书馆、食堂，甚至是家庭或公共场合使用。该项目汇集了跨文化交流基于模拟的学习解决方案的领先开发商(Alelo，Inc.)与逼真的智能机器人(Hanson RoboKind)的领先开发商合作，为语言学习者(这里是学习汉语的人)创建一个社交机器人原型，并调查这些机器人在语言学习中可能扮演的角色，以及与学习者互动的最有效方式，以保持他们在外语对话中的参与度。该项目满足了这个国家对能够很好地参与国际市场的劳动力的迫切需求。这个项目的重点是普通话和文化，但所学到的东西也适用于其他外语。

This Cyberlearning Exploration Project explores the potential for social robotics to transform foreign-language learning. The social robot being developed in this project is designed to act as a language partner for students learning a foreign language, in this case those learning Chinese. It augments classroom instruction, providing for the learner a robot companion to converse with. The hypothesis is that social robots can make interactions with language speakers more exciting and more accessible, especially for less commonly taught languages. The embodied robot is designed not only to converse with learners but also to point and nod and gesture at particular people and objects, helping to direct the attention of learners and interact socially with learners in ways that a non-embodied simulation cannot. The PIs take a task-based approach to language learning, helping students learn the language that goes with a variety of real-world situations. The technological innovation is a synthesis of social robots and social simulation; classroom language instruction is augmented by robot interaction. In this Exploration project, robots are being used in classrooms; as the price of such robots decrease, such robots could become available for after-school, library, cafeteria, or even home or public use.This project brings together a leading developer of simulation-based learning solutions for intercultural communication (Alelo, Inc.) with a leading developer of lifelike intelligent robots (Hanson Robokind) to create a prototype social robot for language learners (in this case those learning Chinese) and to investigate the roles such robots might play in language learning and the most effective ways of interacting with learners so as to sustain their engagement in foreign-language conversation. The project meets a critical need in this country for a workforce that can engage well in the international marketplace. The particular focus in this project is on Mandarin Chinese language and culture, but what is learned will be applicable to other foreign languages as well.