JPH02230179A - Language educational device by machine translation - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve learning effect by equipping a computer with a machine translating, error correcting, explaining and a dictionary function and retrieving a dictionary so that a correct sentence is translated while a wrong sentence has its error corrected and the error place is explained. CONSTITUTION:A dedicated text where the operation method of the system and a curriculum are both described is prepared. Further, a machine translating device which translates, for example, English into Japanese is provided and an error correcting device which diagnoses and corrects a wrong part when a wrong document is inputted is also provided. Then the system is equipped with the explaining function which decomposes the syntax of an input document and displays subjects, predicates, etc., and the dictionary function which displays the meaning of a word when the word is inputted. Thus, a student learns along the dedicated text and confirms whether a document that is personally created is correct or not, thus improving the learning effect.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] (a) Industrial application field This invention is a language teaching device (Computer
Assisted Instruction: CAI
).

(Explanation) A prototype system for learning English composition has been developed as a CAI system that utilizes the functions of conventional technology machine translation.

This system uses a machine translation system as a makeshift part of the existing CAI system. This device had a mechanism for asking questions, and students could input the questions in Japanese. However, it did not have a function to correct errors in sentences that could be analyzed if a student made an input error. Furthermore, because the machine translation system used as a makeshift unit is large-scale, it frequently suffers from delayed response times and mistranslations caused by computers, making it impossible to actually use it in educational settings.

(c) Problems to be solved by the invention This type of device has the following problems when it is actually used in educational settings.

(1) Inputting incorrect sentences: Users (students) do not always input correct sentences. With conventional equipment,
There was a problem in that if the user (student) entered an incorrect sentence, it would become impossible to parse and no information would be returned to the user. In this invention, when a student inputs an incorrect sentence, this language teaching device (CAI system) analyzes the incorrect sentence, points out the incorrect part, and teaches the correct sentence. be.

(2) Differences in educational purpose: Conventional devices were device-driven, so if there was something the student did not understand, the device would present a predetermined hint. In response to students' questions, they only gave pre-prepared hints, but did not have the means to directly answer the questions. The purpose of this invention is to use machine translation functions to actually translate sentences in front of students according to the sentences they input, and to teach them the structure of sentences. In other words, the function of machine translation is used as a means to clarify a question.

(3) Difference in scope of application: Conventional devices could only be applied to learning English composition. This invention aims to utilize the function of machine translation not only for learning English composition, but also for a wide range of purposes such as learning translation and grammar.

(4) User-driven devices: Conventional language teaching devices are system-driven models in which students answer questions posed by a computer, so they have the problem of students taking a passive learning attitude. . In contrast, this invention
It was up to the students to decide which questions to solve and in what order. In the case of language education, it is more important to solve the questions repeatedly than in what order, so we created a user-driven device.

LOGO is a user-driven educational device.
LOGO did not have clear educational goals, but this system differs in that educational goals are provided in the form of dedicated texts.

(5) Manufacturing method: Creating a large-scale machine translation device not only takes time for analysis, but also causes ambiguity (ambigui
ty) problem occurs.

The world of education is a closed world to some extent, so the domain it deals with can be limited.

Therefore, there is no need to create a large machine translation device. In this invention, rather than creating one large machine translation device, several small systems are created for each unit according to the curriculum to be taught.

(2) Means to solve the problem This invention will be explained based on the drawings.

(1) Basic elements of the device: It consists of a dedicated text, a machine translation device built into the computer, a sentence error correction device, an explanation function device, and a dictionary function device. The configuration of the device is as shown in FIG.

(2) Dedicated text: In this model, the curriculum is prepared on the system in the form of a dedicated text. The dedicated text serves both as a system operating method (manual) and a curriculum.

(3) Machine translation device: A machine translation device is a computer that when you input English, for example, it translates it into Japanese.

(4) Erroneous sentence correction device: A wrong sentence correction device is a device that, when a student inputs an incorrect sentence, diagnoses the erroneous part and corrects it.

(5) Explanation function device 2 This is a device that captures and displays the syntactic structure of an input sentence. [What is the subject and what is the verb?] Explain.

(6) Dictionary function device: A device that displays the meaning and example sentences when a word is input.

(7) Access functions: Students can access (3), (4) above,
You can freely access and use the functions (5) and (6).

(8) Device manufacturing method: The device is manufactured according to the curriculum in the dedicated text. For example, create one for each lesson in the textbook.

(e) Effects (1) How to use the device: There are two ways to use the device: one is to study along with a dedicated text, and the other is to have students create sentences themselves, enter them into the device, and check whether they are correct. There is a way to check.

(2) Functions of the device: When a student enters an incorrect sentence, the error correction function activates, points out the incorrect part, and teaches the correct sentence. If there are no errors in the student's input text, the machine translation function will operate and the human text will be translated. Students,
When you request an explanation (select the explanation function), the explanation function operates to capture and display the syntactic structure of the input sentence. Additionally, if you select the dictionary function, the meaning and example sentences of the entered word will be displayed.

(f) Example An embodiment will be described.

(Example 1) A device for teaching English to junior high school students was developed. I will describe the test situation when this device was actually used by junior high school students. The machine translation device is an English-Japanese machine translation device. The dedicated text serves as both a system operating procedure manual and a study problem set. The students first learned how to operate the system (which can be learned in about 5 minutes) and then learned using the system. The dedicated text contains explanations of the necessary items for each lesson, as well as Japanese translation questions, rewriting questions, and fill-in-the-blank questions. Students first try to solve the problem on their own,
Enter the results into the system and check.

An example of a dedicated text for a lesson in the present tense is shown in FIG. Problem 1 in Figure 2 is about how to form the present continuous tense. The students were unable to correct the progressive tense and “
We are play tennis. ”, the device is r “play” must be “playing”,” and “We are playing”.
ying tennis. "Problem 2 in Figure 2 is a translation problem. If you don't know the meaning of a word, look it up in a dictionary, and if you can translate it yourself, enter English and compare the system's translation with your own translation. The idea is to compare and confirm.If you don't understand, just type in the English text and check.

(1) Translation function: For example, if a student
King to you now. ”, the machine translation system runs and translates the English sentence into Japanese. It is translated as “I am talking to you right now.”

(2) Erroneous sentence correction function: When a student inputs an incorrect sentence, this is a function that points out the erroneous part and shows the correct sentence. For example, the sentence containing an error “I am speak t”
o you now. ”, the message “This sentence is in the progressive tense, so “speak” is “’speaking.”
Must be. ” and correct sentence “
I am speaking to you now. ”
Display.

(3) Explanation function: For example, “I am speaking
g to you now. ” then it will tell you the characteristics of the sentence, ``This sentence is in the present continuous tense, the subject is 1 (Il1), and the verb is speak.''

(4) Dictionary function 2 For example, if you don't know the progressive form of "speak", you can pull up "speak" and get r "sp".
The meaning of "eak" is [speak 1, the progressive form is "speakin"
"g"], he explains.

The students were learning seriously and having fun. After completing their study using the textbook, they applied the problems in the textbook to create various sentences by hand, or input sentences from the textbook on their own, enjoying the system's reactions. Some students were also seen writing and typing their own sentences. Also, when I came across a word I didn't understand, I would voluntarily look it up in the dictionary function.

In addition, according to the questionnaire (Figure 3), students perceived it as a useful tool for learning, saying, ``You can match your answers, so you don't have to worry about remembering them incorrectly,'' and ``It saves you the trouble of looking up the meaning of words.'' The evaluation of the device is
Positive results were obtained.

(Embodiment 2) It is obvious that the type of machine translation device is not limited to an English-Japanese machine translation (translating English into Japanese) device, and that the same thing can be done with other languages as well. In other words, this device can be developed for both French-Japanese machine translation (translating French into Japanese) and German-Japanese machine translation (translating French into Japanese).

(Embodiment 3) The same thing can also be achieved using an English-Japanese or Japanese-English bidirectional machine translation device.

(Embodiment 4) There are many algorithms for machine translation devices, but the present invention does not depend on the method of implementing the machine translation device. Furthermore, it does not matter what method is used to implement the error correction function, explanation function, and dictionary function.

(g) Effect This invention provides the following effects.

(1) Educational effect: By using error correction devices and machine translation devices, students can match their answers, so there is no need to worry about memorizing them incorrectly. Successfully motivates students and fosters an attitude of self-directed learning.

Once students have finished studying with the dedicated textbook, they have learned the basics of how to use the system and are able to use it freely. If you come across a word you don't understand, you can look it up in the dictionary yourself, so you can use this function independently.

(2) Teaching Method 2 Students who have memorized the basics of how to use the language can conduct [word experiments] by inputting sentences they have used themselves or sentences from the textbook with an inquisitive mind, just like in science experiments. can. In other words, it is also possible to teach a language experimentally. For example, instead of teaching grammar points in a top-down manner, [“■am play tennis.
You can have students intentionally enter incorrect sentences, such as ``Enter this. What should the computer answer?'' and let the students discover the regularities of language themselves.

(3) Scope of application: The value of machine translation systems is not limited to learning English composition, but can also be used to learn translation and grammar. In addition, the system is configured to fully utilize the functions of the machine translation system.

(4) Learning efficiency: In the case of system-driven learning, the progress of learning is controlled by the system, which reduces learning efficiency, but with this invention, it is user-driven.
You don't have to enter all the questions, just enter and check the questions you don't understand, which increases learning efficiency. When considering learning efficiency, a user-driven model that processes only the necessary points is superior to a system-driven model.

(5) M manufacturing method: In this invention, it is important to narrow the range handled by the device. Rather than building one large-scale machine translation device, we build a large number of small-scale machine translation devices for each lesson. From an educational perspective, this has the advantage of limiting the level and demands of students, allowing for appropriate instruction.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 Configuration diagram of the present invention Example of text for Figure 2 Figure 3 Questionnaire results after using the device

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A machine translation function, a sentence error correction function, an explanation function, and a dictionary function are realized on a computer, and when a user inputs a correct sentence, translation is performed and an incorrect sentence is input. A language teaching device that can sometimes correct erroneous sentences, create correct sentences, explain erroneous parts, and if the user wants to look up a dictionary, it can search and display it. 2. Prepare a special text outside the computer and follow 1 above.
A language teaching device used in combination with this device. 3. A manufacturing method in which the above 1 is not achieved using large-scale equipment, but is achieved using a small-scale equipment in conjunction with the dedicated text described in 2 above.