Development of an English conversation learning system based on spoken dialog with an agent

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24652111
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Foreign language education
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: ITO Akinori 東北大学, 工学(系)研究科(研究院), 教授 (70232428)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): HIROI Yutaka 大阪工業大学, 工学部, 准教授 (80405927)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 英語学習システム / 英会話学習 / 拡張現実感 / ロボット / 人間機械間インタラクション

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this project, we developed a system for training of communication skill in English for Japanese learners, in which the learner makes conversation exercises with a robot or a virtual character. First, we developed a robot that could move in a room by following a person, understand a position by recognizing the pointing gesture and made conversations with the learner in English. Then we developed a speech recognition method where the learner’s speech with grammatical mistakes can be recognized correctly. Finally, we developed a method for conversation exercise with a virtual character where the learner can acquire a proper timing for answering the interlocutor’s utterance.

Free Research Field

音声言語処理