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技术改变外语学习的潜力。该项目中开发的社交机器人旨在充当学习外语的学生的语言伙伴，在这种情况下是学习中文的学生。它增强了课堂教学，为学习者提供了一个机器人伴侣来匡威。假设是，社交机器人可以使与语言使用者的互动变得更加令人兴奋和更容易，特别是对于不太常见的语言。具身机器人不仅可以与学习者匡威，还可以指向特定的人和物体，点头和手势，帮助引导学习者的注意力，并以非具身模拟无法实现的方式与学习者进行社交互动。PI采用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况相适应的语言。技术创新是社会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增强。在这个探索项目中，机器人正在教室中使用;随着这种机器人价格的下降，这种机器人可以在课后，图书馆，自助餐厅，甚至家庭或公共场所使用。这个项目汇集了一个领先的基于模拟的跨文化交流学习解决方案的开发商（Alelo，Inc.）与一家领先的逼真智能机器人开发商（Hanson Robokind）合作，为语言学习者（在本例中为学习汉语的人）创建一个原型社交机器人，并研究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，以保持他们参与外语对话。该项目满足了该国对能够很好地参与国际市场的劳动力的迫切需要。该项目的重点是中国普通话语言和文化，但所学的内容也适用于其他外语。

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.