Competing with Pimsleur
earlier, I’ve written the framework for a language learning system similar to Pimsleur. Well the approach is similar but the mechanics are different. Basically each phrase (in English, the target language, what the instructor says) is a seperate audio file. The system then chooses what you listen to automatically handling things like the right amount of repetition or you.
How often something is repeated is time based meaning if people do things slowly they will find themselves repeating more often (which makes more sense since slower equates to using the system less often). I almost have a demo ready. The big thing I need however is voice talent. I’ve just about accepted that I will have to suffer by hearing myself but it’s not very clear what’s going on if the instructor, the English voice and the foreign voice are all the same person.
It is also extremely modular. Each module (a module could be a conversation, a sentence, a whole topic – whatever makes sense in the circumstances) has a list of requirements that has to be completed first. This means no explicit ordering of modules is neccesary, the system picks whichever one the learner can do.
This also allows some cross-language capabilities. If someone learns more than one language and something is similar or the same in the two, it could tell and possibly speed things up depending on how similar they are.
So if there is anyone who might possibly be interested, let me know. If you’re learning a language this could be ideal (during my Maths degree I discovered if I could explain something to someone else, it was a good sign I understood it myself)
I’m not quite sure if, and how (or should) this make money but anyone who helps significantly would have a say in what happens with it.
Comments
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Oliver on
Tue, 1st Nov 2005 10:12 pm
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Back to language learning - Oliver Brown on
Mon, 17th Jul 2006 8:30 am
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Jason on
Wed, 2nd Aug 2006 6:03 pm
< ![CDATA[As an incentive to talk, I'll reveal the beta-esque demo to anybody who asks :P
This is also because I daren't reveal it publicly yet...]]>
[...] t in foreign language learning with the aid of a computer has returned. My main goal is a Pimsleur style system but with the repetition handled by computer – i.e. with ju [...]
< ![CDATA[I find your idea quite intriguing and I would be curious to discuss it you further. My company has been marketing the Pimsleur language programs in the US for over 2 years and we truly believe in it although we are aware of some of the limitations that you mention.
Please contact me to see if there is any way that we can help each other out.]]>