KR20020023516A - Method for studying a foreign language on internet by real-time chatting - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A method for studying foreign languages on the Internet through a real-time conversation is provided to make a conversation between an Internet user of the first country, who is registered as a member on a Web site provided from a central server and an Internet user of the second country, who is registered as a teacher on another Web site of the central server, through a shared chatting window, so as to naturally improve foreign language speaking ability. CONSTITUTION: A central server(100) transmits Web pages, and stores information and contents necessary for a conversation. The central server(100) is connected to client systems(110,120) of Internet users of the first country and the second country(131,132). The Internet users are connected to a Web site of the central server(100). If the Internet users request URL in browsers(111,121), the central server(100) transmits necessary Web pages. A server engine(101) transmits the Web pages to each client system(110,120). The central server(100) includes a teacher database(104), a member database(106), and a conversation topic database(107), and includes a connection program(107) with which a member of the first country and a teacher of the second country talk to each other. The connection program(107) includes a program for supporting voice or video chatting for the Internet users as well as a chatting window generation program.

Description

METHOD FOR STUDYING A FOREIGN LANGUAGE ON INTERNET BY REAL-TIME CHATTING}

The present invention relates to a foreign language learning method on the Internet through real-time conversation.

As the Internet spreads rapidly in various fields of industry and society, new types of business are emerging through the Internet. These businesses include shopping malls that sell goods in virtual spaces over the Internet, and cyber counseling centers that provide various types of professional counseling such as internet bookstores, law, and medical care.

In addition, the Internet is provided as a means for bilateral or multilateral communication in view of the nature of the network. The ability to transmit information in real time across regions and countries is one of the greatest appeals of the Internet. Chat, which has already been used to computer users through computer communication networks, has been increasingly used on the Internet, and in recent years, voice transmission and image transmission technology have become more common, enabling more realistic and realistic communication among netizens.

Due to the development of internet communication technology, various types of educational sites have begun to emerge, and various types of foreign language learning sites have recently opened. On-line foreign language learning institutions can overcome various limitations of off-line foreign language education institutions, such as the need for a large space for lectures, the constraints of lecture time, and the cost of expensive learning. There is no need for classrooms because you can have multi-party conversations through video on the Internet, you can participate in foreign language education at your own time in your home, and you can target many Internet users who have access to the Internet. Can provide educational services.

However, most of the foreign language learning sites that have been established so far only mimic offline language education institutions. In addition to providing cyber lectures on the Internet, the textbooks used for learning and the instructors responsible for teaching foreign languages were no different from the existing educational institutions. On the other hand, a site has been established where instructors and trainees can communicate with each other through chat, which is a multi-party communication method. However, the number of instructors is limited on these sites, making it difficult to select a lecturer that suits their hobbies or interests. It is difficult to learn a foreign language more freely because it is determined separately, and thus it is difficult to improve foreign language ability.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a foreign language learning method that can freely select a counterpart between Internet users in different countries using a network such as the Internet and can communicate in real time regardless of time and place. It is also an object of the present invention to improve the effect of foreign language learning by providing a conversation topic and conversation material between Internet users.

1 is a block diagram showing a relationship between a central server and a client system of a member of a first station and a lecturer of a second station.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating the steps in which an Internet user of a first station uses a service provided by a central server.

Figure 3 is an embodiment showing a member registration screen of the website provided by the central server.

4 is an embodiment showing a main screen shown to an Internet user of a first country who has subscribed as a member.

Figure 5 is an embodiment showing the type and price of the coupon.

6 is an embodiment showing a reservation schedule of a member.

Figure 7 is an embodiment showing the call and evaluation history.

8A to 8C illustrate an example of selecting a hierarchical conversation topic.

Figure 8a shows the items corresponding to the major topic.

FIG. 8B illustrates a sub-category when 'HOME' of the main topic of FIG. 8 is selected.

8C shows a screen for selecting a form of specific conversation data.

9A to 9C illustrate an example of a method for finding an instructor.

9A illustrates an initial search screen for inputting items such as interests, age, gender, region, major, etc.

9B shows a list of retrieved instructors,

9c shows the personal information, self-introduction and evaluation grade of a particular instructor.

10 is an embodiment showing a chat window displayed on a browser of a member and an instructor's computer.

11 is an embodiment showing a reservation step.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart for explaining the steps of using the service provided by the central server by the Internet user of the second station.

*** Explanation of symbols for main parts of drawing ***

100: central server 101: server engine

104: lecturer database 105: conversation topic database

107: connection program 110: the first station client system

120: Second station client system (110.120)

The present invention naturally allows Internet users of a first country registered as a member on a website provided by a central server and an Internet user of a second country registered as an instructor on another website provided by a central server in real time in a common chat window. It provides a method for learning foreign languages on the Internet through real-time conversation that can improve foreign language conversation skills.

More specifically, the central server is connected to communicate with the client system of the first station and the client system of the second station on a network, and the central server is a server engine for transmitting web pages to Internet users, and Web pages sent to Internet users, web pages sent to Internet users in other countries, member databases containing information related to members, databases containing instructor-related information, conversation topics and conversation materials. A conversation topic database, and a connection program for connecting the Internet user of the first country and the Internet user of the second country to communicate with each other, wherein the client system of the first station can communicate with a central server. Computer systems coupled to the client system to enable access to the website from the client system. The client system of the second station includes a computer system connected to communicate with a central server, and a browser to enable a website to be accessed from the client system. After accessing the website provided by the central server through the client system of the first country and joining as a member, the instructor database is randomly selected from the instructor database, and the Internet user of the second country uses the client system of the second country. After joining another website provided by the central server through the instructor as a lecturer, voice communication with members who have applied for a conversation online is possible, and the Internet users of the first country and the Internet users of the second country Once connected to communicate, a dialog box appears in the web browser of each client system. And the dialog box provides a language learning methods on the Internet via a real-time conversation wherein the displayed dialog and conversation themes available.

The information of the Internet users of the second countries registered as instructors is entered into the instructor database of the central server, and according to various classifications from these instructor databases, for example, education, area, major, gender, age, hobbies and interests. According to the detailed items, etc., the Internet user of the first country can select the instructor whom he / she wants to talk with from the divided instructor group. In other words, a specific instructor can be randomly selected from a group of instructors already registered as instructors.

Each member and instructor access and log on to a separate website, but once a member selects a specific instructor online (the instructor who has already logged in and has logged in to the website), they will be connected in a single conversation path to communicate in real time. You can do The conversation method exchanges a conversation by voice transmission or image transmission by performing a chat, which is a conventional conversation method by transmission of a text message.

Free talking between members of the first country and instructors in the second country is also possible, but it is not easy to select the topic of conversation when dealing with the first person, so various conversation topics and Database the contents of the conversation so members can choose.

When members and instructors are connected to each other, a dialog (pop-up window or separate window) appears on the screen. The chat window displays various information and chat status for the chat. In addition, the conversation topic is displayed to members and instructors, respectively, and may be differently displayed in languages of the first and second countries. In the chat window, there is a link to a website related to the topic of the conversation, and members and instructors can access the website together and surf the web.

The instructor group consists of a number of Internet users registered as instructors. Among the many Internet users who want to register as instructors, they can only be registered as instructors. The above qualifications do not necessarily require a major in pedagogy or acquisition of foreign language teaching methods, but require a certain level of education (e.g., a higher education level than university) or an age limit (e.g. 20 years old). Or the like). Such qualifications can maintain the level of instructors above a certain level.

At the end of the conversation between the member and the instructor, the member may evaluate the instructor and the instructor may assess the member's foreign language ability. It is also possible to make a reservation for the next conversation between the same member and the instructor. Accordingly, the present invention provides an opportunity to improve foreign language ability while freely communicating with Internet users similarly to general chats on the web, and from a member's point of view, his or her ability can be evaluated by native speakers. do.

Members must purchase a certain amount of coupons in return for using various services provided by the central server. On the other hand, because the instructor participates in various services provided by the central server, a request for payment of a certain amount to the central server in return, the central server pays a certain amount to the instructor.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 is a diagram illustrating a relationship between a central server and a client system of a member of a first station and a lecturer of a second station as an embodiment of the present invention. The central server 100 transmits a web page so that Internet users of each country can communicate with each other, and has a database of information and contents necessary for the conversation. The central server is connected (131, 132) to a client system (110. 120) of an Internet user of a first station and an Internet user of a second station through a communication network such as a telephone line or a LAN. Each Internet user accesses a website provided by a central server through a client system such as a personal computer or a terminal. When the Internet user makes a request for the URL from the browsers 111 and 121, the central server transmits a web page necessary for each Internet user. The server engine 101 sends the web page to each client system 110. 120 so that the member in the first country can access the member's website 102 and the instructor in the second country can access the instructor's website. do. In addition, the central server 100 includes a lecturer database 104 containing information about the lecturer, a member database 106 containing information about the members, and a conversation topic data containing various topics and contents necessary for the conversation. It includes a base 107 and includes a connection program 107 necessary for the members of the first country and the instructor of the second country to communicate with each other. The connection program 107 includes a program capable of supporting a voice or video call between Internet users, a chat window generating program provided with contents for a conversation, and the like. Internet users of the first and second stations access separate websites, but are connected to each other and communicate with each other through the connection program.

Figure 2 is a flow chart illustrating the steps of using the service provided by the member of the first station in the central server according to the present invention. First, in order to become a member, access the website provided by the central server (201) and register as a member (202). After you sign up as a member, you log in just as you would any other website. The central server sends a main screen to the member's computer after checking whether the member is logged in, and the member purchases a coupon through the main screen (203). After purchasing the coupon, the conversation topic is selected (204). Conversation topics are provided in the conversation topic database with various contents classified by various topics. After selecting the topic of conversation, the instructor to talk is selected (205). The instructor chooses from the instructor group according to the member's preference. Instructor selection and conversation topic selection may be reversed, and the conversation topic may be changed during the conversation with the instructor. After the conversation topic is selected and the instructor is selected, the conversation is conducted directly (206). The conversation method is by voice chat or video chat. When a member and an instructor are connected to each other, a chat window is displayed on the screen. After the conversation ends, the member may evaluate the instructor (207). Evaluation items and evaluation methods may be various. It is also possible to schedule a conversation with the instructor in advance for the next conversation at the end of the conversation.

Hereinafter, for convenience, the first country is designated as Korea and the second country is designated as the USA. Therefore, the website accessed by the Internet user of the first country mainly uses Korean, and the website accessed by the Internet user of the second country uses English. However, the first and second countries can of course be other countries. For convenience, the description will be made first in the position of the Internet user of the first country, and details related to the Internet user of the second country will be described later.

3 shows a member registration screen 300 of a website provided by a central server. Signing up is similar to signing up on another website. Enter the ID 301, password 302, name 303, occupation 304, E-mail address 305, interest 306, etc., to be used by the Internet user, and apply for subscription. Although only the above items are shown in the drawings, age, gender, field of study, and other information may be required as necessary. In addition, even after joining as a member, information such as interests and e-mails can be changed at any time.

After the Internet user of the first country registers as a member, they are connected to the main screen of the website through a login process. 4 shows an example of a main screen. The main screen 400 is the reservation information (401) showing the current reservation status, the coupon information (402) to inform the coupon information purchased by the member, the recommended content (403) to provide a suitable topic for the user, the member and interest There are information items that show various information related to the members, such as recommended lecturers (404) recommending instructors with similar fields, the cancel reservation button (405) for canceling the reservation schedule, and the buy coupon (406) button for purchasing coupons. , An instructor selection 407 button for selecting an instructor, a call history, and a usage history 408 showing a member's evaluation record. In addition, the topic 4410, the best topic 410, the best instructor 411, the event 412, etc. may be provided as items that may be helpful to the use of the website. Such a screen configuration is just one example, and various modifications are possible.

After signing up as a member, you purchase a coupon to pay for using the website. Coupons can be referred to as a kind of cyber money, and the method of purchasing a coupon may include a credit card payment or a wire transfer to a website operator's account. When the coupon purchase button 406 on the main screen 400 is pressed, a screen for purchasing the coupon is transmitted to the member's computer. 5 is an embodiment 500 showing the type and price of the coupon. In the above example, two types of coupons 501 are illustrated, such as 10 times a month and 20 times a month, but it may be possible to make various types of coupons by date by time. The price 502 may be determined over time or for number of times, and other methods are of course possible. Once you have purchased a coupon, you will be notified of the use of the coupon. Coupon information 402 that was previously seen on the main screen 400 is the same.

The reservation information on the main screen 400 displays only the most recent reservation, and more detailed reservation information can be confirmed by pressing the reservation information button 401. Figure 6 is an embodiment showing a member's reservation schedule 600. The reservation time 603 is shown for each instructor 602. If the reservation cancel button 604 is pressed after selecting the selection button 601, the reservation with the instructor is canceled, and the fact is known to the instructor. .

The call history and the evaluation of the instructors that the member has ever talked can be checked by pressing the My History button 408 of the main screen 400. 7 illustrates one embodiment of such a call and evaluation history 700. The call date 710 and call time 760 are shown, and the evaluation of the members of the instructor 720 who talked is shown for each item. In the present embodiment, only the pronunciation 730, vocabulary 740, and other 750 items are evaluated, but there may be various evaluation methods in various items.

After you buy a coupon, choose a conversation topic. When members and instructors communicate with each other, there is no need to talk only about the topic. Conversation topics are supplementary story materials that members and instructors need to talk with. The conversation window displays specific contents related to the conversation topic so that members and instructors can use the materials. Conversational topics can be presented hierarchically from subtopics to subtopics. 8A to 8C illustrate an example of selecting a hierarchical conversation topic. As shown in FIG. 8A, when the items corresponding to the major subjects are listed, selecting one of them gives a lower classification. 8B shows a sub-category when 'HOME' of the major topic is selected. If 'HOUSING' is selected in this subclass, the subclass is again displayed as a pull-down menu as shown in the figure. If 'INTERIOR' is selected here, the sub-categories are displayed again or the form of the dialogue data related to this topic is presented. 8c shows the format of the dialogue data related to 'INTERIOR'. In the drawings, only three types of maps 801, news and media 802, and travel 803 are presented, but the data may be presented in various ways. Each data type has a selection button 810, and by pressing this selection button, specific conversation data can be selected. These conversations can be up-to-date articles related to the conversation topic, or they can be pictures, photographs, historical data, or videos. In addition, an example dialogue or question and answer sentence related to the conversation topic may be presented. Various data related to the conversation topic are stored in the conversation topic database. These materials may be provided by different users on the Internet or from different educational institutions. Conversation topics can be selected in advance, but they can be selected during a conversation with the instructor, or changed during the conversation.

After you choose a topic, select the instructor you want to talk to. The instructor can be selected by searching for instructors that meet the criteria by entering various conditions, selecting a recommended instructor, or searching by ID or name. You can also search for instructors who are not online, but you can only connect to instructors who are online, and make sure that only instructors are online. FIG. 9A is a diagram illustrating a method for finding an instructor, and displays a screen for inputting items such as an interest, an age, a gender, a region, a major, and the like. In addition to the items shown in the drawings, various conditions may be further included. Members can also find the corresponding instructor by entering the ID or name of the instructor they know. 9B illustrates an example of a list 900 of instructors searched by inputting a condition. When the select button is pressed in the list and the detail view button 910 is pressed, as shown in FIG. 9C, the personal information related to the instructor, a brief self-introduction, and an evaluation grade evaluated by the member can be viewed. If you want to talk to the selected instructor press the connection button 920 to apply for the conversation.

Pressing the connection button, the central server 100 operates the connection program 107 to connect the member and the instructor to enable voice and / or video communication. For voice communication, a telephone connection or an internet phone may be used. FIG. 10 illustrates an embodiment of a chat window 1100 displayed on a browser of both computers after voice communication between a member and an instructor is enabled. The chat window is largely composed of a chat topic unit 1110, a text conversation unit 1120, and an input unit 1130. The conversation topic unit 1110 includes a conversation topic 1111, a word unit 1112 related to the conversation topic, a conversation resource unit 1113 showing an example conversation or conversation material, and a conversation instruction unit showing various instructions to assist the conversation. 1114 is included. This topic of conversation is a supplementary element to assist the conversation, and can be changed at any time during the conversation. The conversation may be voice and / or video, but text transmission may also be performed in parallel. When a sentence is input to the input unit 1130, the conversation contents are displayed on the text conversation unit 1120. In the chat window, there is a link unit 1140, which links to a web site related to the topic or conversation material, and when the corresponding item is pressed, the web site is linked to the linked site in a separate web browser window. You can also talk. On the other side of the dialog, as an additional item, the instructor ID 1101 for viewing or reconnecting the instructor's profile, volume 1102, the talk time showing the talk time (1103), and reconnecting (1104) to reconnect when disconnected , End 1105, etc. to end the conversation. The configuration of such a dialog is merely exemplary, and various modifications are of course possible.

When the conversation ends and you press the End button, a reservation window appears asking for a reservation with the instructor. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a reservation step, and shows a reservation window 1200 and existing reservation information 1210 together. In response to the reservation, the reservation schedule is displayed in the reservation information 1210, and when the send 1211 button is pressed, the reservation is transmitted to the instructor.

After the conversation, the teacher will be evaluated. Evaluation items and methods can be various embodiments, the evaluation results are not shown to the instructor can be referred to in selecting the instructor by being provided only to each member.

So far, the present invention has been described from the member's point of view, but similar explanations are possible for the instructor. 12 is a flow chart illustrating the steps of using the service provided by the central server instructor of the second station. First, in order to join as an instructor, access the website provided by the central server (1300) and apply for subscription (1310). After applying for subscription, the central server decides whether to accept the instructor based on the instructor's information and sends the result to the instructor by e-mail. Therefore, unlike members, the instructor can not log in immediately after applying as a lecturer and must wait for authentication (1320) of the central server. The Internet user of the second country certified as the instructor logs in to the website, and the central server checks the instructor's ID and password and sends the main screen to the instructor's computer. The main screen of the instructor may have a configuration similar to the main screen of the member. For example, items such as reservation information, instructor rules, call history, etc. may be displayed, and may include personal information items, self-introduction items, etc. for entering or changing their personal information. However, unlike members, instructors do not need to purchase coupons, so items related to coupons are not displayed. The instructor can select a conversation topic like a member (1330), but the conversation topic is not necessarily selected. The instructor waits for the member's conversation request, but it is also possible to request a conversation by communicating his introduction to the member. When the member and the instructor are connected to each other and have a conversation (1340), the instructor also displays the same dialog in the instructor's web browser. The dialog is displayed in different languages to the instructor and the member, and may be displayed in the same language (eg English). After the conversation is over, the instructor evaluates the member and may apply for a reservation. (1350) After the instructor talks with the member, the instructor may request to pay the instructor fee according to the talk time, evaluation rating, popularity, etc. (1360). ), The central server, if requested by the instructor, pays the amount to the instructor through online transfer or bank transfer.

According to the present invention, since the Internet users of the first country and the Internet users of the second country are connected to different websites and connected through a single conversation passage, the Internet users having different languages can be easily met. By selecting an Internet user who satisfies certain conditions as an instructor, the instructor group can be selected, and among them, the instructor can be arbitrarily selected according to interests or majors, so that they can have a free conversation with a large number of high-quality instructors. In addition, it is possible to easily communicate with the first person who meets because various conversation topics and materials for conversation are provided. Each member's member is evaluated so that the efficiency of learning a foreign language can be improved, and the member's teacher can be evaluated. Therefore, the present invention can be freely met through the Internet and can talk on a variety of subjects, so that it is not necessary to receive a foreign language study or a language training in a foreign language.

Claims (14)

The central server is connected to communicate on the network with the client system of the first station and the client system of the second station, The central server is a server engine for transmitting a web page to an internet user, a web page transmitted to an internet user of a first country, a web page transmitted to an internet user of a second country, and member data containing information related to a member. A base, a database containing instructor-related information, a conversation topic database containing conversation topics and conversation resources, and an Internet user in the first country and an Internet user in a second country to communicate with each other. Including linking programs, The client system of the first station includes a computer system connected to communicate with a central server, and a browser to enable a website to be accessed from the client system. The client system of the second station includes a computer system connected to communicate with a central server, and a browser for allowing a website to be accessed from the client system. The Internet user of the first country accesses the website provided by the central server through the client system of the first country, joins as a member, and randomly selects the instructor who is connected from the instructor database. The Internet user of the second country accesses another website provided by the central server through the client system of the second country, joins as an instructor, and is connected to enable the voice communication with the member who has requested a conversation online. When the Internet user of the first country and the Internet user of the second country are connected to communicate with each other, a chat window is displayed in a web browser of each client system, and the chat window displays a chat topic and chat data. How to Learn Foreign Languages on the Internet through Conversation. The method of claim 1, wherein the Internet user of the first country purchases a coupon as a method for paying a use fee after joining as a member. The foreign language learning method of claim 2, wherein the purchase of the coupon is performed by real-time conversation by depositing a predetermined amount or paying by a credit card. The method of claim 1, wherein the second user's internet user joins as a lecturer, accesses a website provided by a central server, applies for a lecturer registration, and authenticates the second country's internet user as a lecturer at the central server. Foreign language learning method on the Internet through real-time conversation, including. The method of claim 1, wherein the instructor database is classified into Internet users of the second country to join the instructor according to age, gender, major, interests, etc. When an Internet user of a first country searches for an instructor on a certain condition, the server engine finds the list of the instructor from the instructor database and transmits the instructor to the client system. The method of claim 1, wherein the chat window includes a text conversation unit and an input unit to enable text transmission between an Internet user of a first country and an Internet user of a second country. The method of claim 1, wherein the connection program transmits audio and video between an Internet user of a first country and an Internet user of a second country. The method of claim 1, wherein the conversation topic database includes hierarchical conversation topics ranging from sub-topics to sub-topics, and the last sub-topic includes various types of dialogue data related to each topic, and the Internet of the first country. When the user searches for the conversation topic and the conversation data under a certain condition, the server engine finds the conversation topic and the conversation data from the conversation topic database and transmits the conversation topic and the conversation data to the client system. The method of claim 8, wherein the retrieved conversation topic and conversation data are displayed in the chat window when the Internet user of the first country and the Internet user of the second country are connected to each other. The dialogue window is a foreign language learning method on the Internet through a real-time conversation, characterized in that the website associated with the topic or material is linked. The method of claim 1, comprising evaluating the Internet user of the second country after the connection between the Internet user of the first country and the Internet user of the second country is terminated. The method of claim 10, wherein the evaluation result is not shown to an Internet user of a second country. The method of claim 1, further comprising: evaluating the Internet user of the first country after the connection between the Internet user of the first country and the Internet user of the second country is terminated. . The method of claim 1, further comprising: after the connection between the Internet user of the first country and the Internet user of the second country is terminated, reserving the next conversation. The method of claim 1, wherein after the connection between the Internet user of the first country and the Internet user of the second country is terminated, the Internet user of the second country requests a certain amount of money from the central server. How to Learn Foreign Languages on the Internet.