JPH0827588B2 - Pronunciation learning device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Outline] A pronunciation learning device for learning pronunciation of a foreign language,
The word spelling input by the learner is collated with a conversion rule, converted into a phonetic symbol, and information such as a pronunciation method of each phonetic symbol is extracted from the phonetic information dictionary and displayed on a display screen.

[Industrial applications]

The present invention relates to a pronunciation learning device used for learning pronunciation of a foreign language.

When learning a foreign language, the first step is learning the pronunciation of words.

It is necessary to learn pronunciation in order to make more accurate pronunciation in practical learning that is mainly conversational.

However, since it is impossible to learn pronunciation of all many words, in the case of group learning, the teacher only teaches the pronunciation of basic words, and when the learner pronounces unknown words, It may not be possible to pronounce because it is pronounced in combination with the knowledge that one has, or it may give a wrong pronunciation.

Therefore, there is a demand for a pronunciation learning device that allows the learner to learn an accurate pronunciation method independently of the teacher.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, there is a tape recorder as a learning device for learning the pronunciation of a foreign language, and the accurate pronunciation of the foreign language is recorded, and when the learner needs to pronounce a certain word, the tape recorder is operated. Then I selected the desired word and listened.

Also, when learning phonetic symbols, I learned them while comparing them with dictionaries or written documents.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

With such a tape recorder learning method, knowledge of the relationship between word spelling and pronunciation cannot be obtained because of pronunciation learning by voice, and the operation for extracting the pronunciation of the required word from the recording tape such as conversation is extremely troublesome. Moreover, it is impossible to extract only the required words, and it is necessary for the learner to separate and extract with the words recorded before and after that. Further, in the learning tape recorded on the tape in word units, the learning target is limited to the recorded words.

That is, the tape recorder has only a function of recording the pronunciation as voice on the recording tape.

When learning by video recording, the text equivalent can be displayed, but the required word selection is the same as in the tape recorder.

The present invention was created in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a pronunciation learning device that displays phonetic symbols of words input by a learner and pronunciation methods thereof on a display.

[Means for solving problems]

As shown in an embodiment of the pronunciation learning apparatus of the present invention in FIG. 1, 1 is an input device such as a keyboard, 2 is a conversion rule dictionary storing word spelling and rules for converting into phonetic symbols,
Reference numeral 3 is a phonetic symbol converter that converts an input word into phonetic symbols based on this dictionary, and 4 is a phonetic information dictionary that stores the phonetic pronunciation method of the phonetic symbol. Image information representing a method and text information describing the pronunciation points are stored as pronunciation information. 5
Is a phonetic information presenting section for presenting information such as the pronunciation method of phonetic symbols input based on the phonetic information dictionary, and 6 is a display section for simultaneously displaying phonetic information at least in word units.

Further, in the case of pronunciation learning by voice, as shown by the dotted line in FIG. 1, a voice synthesizer 7 and a speaker 8 are added.

An example of conversion rules in the conversion rule dictionary is Susan R. Hertz: “From text to speech with SRS”,
J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 72 (4), Oct. 1982 p. 1155.

[Action]

When the learner inputs a word required by the learner from the keyboard 1, the phonetic symbol converting unit 3 converts the phonetic symbol into the phonetic symbol, the phonetic information presenting unit 5 creates phonetic information, and the display unit 6 displays the phonetic information. It

Therefore, the learner can learn by looking at the pronunciation information such as the pronunciation symbol and pronunciation method of the word on the display screen by tapping the required word from the keyboard.

Further, in order to efficiently use the built-in memory capacity, the word and the phonetic symbol are not matched one-to-one, but the word is converted to the phonetic symbol in accordance with the rule between the two.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, detailed description will be given again with reference to the diagram of FIG. 1 and the display screen diagram of pronunciation information displayed on the display of FIG.

For example, when the learner types the word "thank" from the keyboard 1, it is input to the phonetic symbol conversion unit 3 and converted into the phonetic symbol "θnk" in the light of the conversion rule dictionary 2.
It is input to the pronunciation information presentation unit 5.

The conversion rule dictionary 2 stores rules for converting word spelling into phonetic symbols, for example, rules for converting “th” into phonetic symbols into “θ”.

For words that are exceptions to the rules, phonetic symbols unique to the word are prepared.

The pronunciation information presentation unit 5 takes out pronunciation information such as diagrams of pronunciation methods and explanations of each pronunciation symbol from the pronunciation information dictionary 4.

The display unit 6 displays the pronunciation information assembled by the pronunciation information presenting unit 5 on the display screen.

As shown in FIG. 2, the display screen displays phonetic symbols, tongue position, exhalation airflow, and other diagrams along with phonetic symbols, and descriptive text such as points of the phonetic method.

Further, as indicated by the dotted line in FIG.
The learning effect can be further improved by connecting the voice synthesizing unit 7 to the output of and outputting the voice output by the speaker 8.

Also, by exchanging the dictionaries 2 and 4, it is possible to learn pronunciation in various other languages.

Needless to say, the word input device is not limited to the keyboard and may be any device having an input function such as a light pen on the display or an optical reading device.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, according to the present invention, a learner can learn the pronunciation of a large number of words when learning the pronunciation of a foreign language, and is extremely useful in practice.

Furthermore, other foreign languages will be possible if the dictionaries 2 and 4 are exchanged, and the usefulness is further enhanced.

[Brief description of drawings]

 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a pronunciation learning device of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a display screen diagram of pronunciation information. In the figure, 1 is an input device (keyboard), 2 is a conversion rule dictionary, 3 is a phonetic symbol conversion unit, 4 is a phonetic information dictionary, 5 is a phonetic information presentation unit, and 6 is a display unit.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A pronunciation information dictionary storing an input device, a conversion rule dictionary for converting spelling of words into phonetic symbols, image information representing a pronunciation method for each phonetic symbol, and text information describing a pronunciation point. And a pronunciation information presenting unit for transforming the pronunciation symbols into pronunciation information based on the pronunciation information dictionary by collating a word input from the input device with the conversion rule dictionary and converting the pronunciation symbols. A pronunciation learning device, comprising: and a display unit for simultaneously displaying the pronunciation information on a screen in units of at least words.