Intelligent virtual agents as language trainers facilitate multilingualism.
intelligent virtual agents (IVAs) with human appearance and the capability to teach foreign language vocabulary. We report results from studies that we have conducted with Billie, an IVA employed as a vocabulary trainer, as well as research findings on the acceptance of the agent as a trainer by adults and children. The results show that Billie can train humans as well as a human teacher can and that both adults and children accept the IVA as a trainer. The advantages of IVAs are multiple. First, their teaching methods can be based on neuropsychological research findings concerning memory and learning practice. Second, virtual teachers can provide individualized training. Third, they coach users during training, are always supportive, and motivate learners to train. Fourth, agents will reside in the user's mobile devices and thus be at the user's disposal everywhere and anytime. Agents in apps will make foreign language training accessible to anybody at low cost. This will enable people around the world, including physically, financially, and geographically disadvantaged persons, to learn a foreign language and help to facilitate multilingualism.
Department of Information Engineering, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Austria ; Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Research Group Neural Mechanisms of Human Communication Leipzig, Germany.
Manuela
M
Macedonia
Department of Information Engineering, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Austria.
Iris
I
Groher
Department of Information Engineering, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Austria.
Friedrich
F
Roithmayr
enactment effect; intelligent virtual agent; memory enhancement; mobile device; multilingualism