Language learning device and language learning program

Abstract

Effectively support language learning based on pattern practice. [Solution] The language learning device of the present invention is a language learning device that provides learning content to a user terminal, and has an example sentence storage means that breaks down example sentences, which are learning content, into grammatical components and stores them, an example sentence display means that breaks down the example sentences into their components and displays them on the user terminal, and a randomization means that randomly switches at least one of the components displayed on the user terminal to another component.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a language learning device and a language learning program. [Background technology]

[0002] Pattern practice has long been known as one method of learning English. In pattern practice, students quickly construct English sentences by fitting various words into grammatically correct sentence patterns. For example, students fix the sentence structure (in this case, the second sentence structure (SVC)) and repeatedly practice the sentences, such as "This is a pen," "This is a book," and "This is a desk," while swapping out parts of the structure (in this case, C). In this way, pattern practice memorizes the basic structure and cultivates the ability to construct sentences reflexively. By swapping out the subject, verb, and object within the same sentence structure, students are able to speak smoothly in a variety of real-life situations.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes an English language learning device that displays a question sentence and a plurality of word choices that resemble different shapes for each of the components included in the five English sentence patterns on a display unit, and accepts the choices for each of the components of the corresponding five sentence patterns as answers to the question sentence. The answers are displayed as choices with a plurality of words corresponding to the components that make up each sentence pattern, in shapes that indicate the components, such as subject, verb, complement, object, and interrogative. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-086700 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in conventional textbooks and text-based pattern practice learning, example sentences are presented statically, making it difficult to flexibly reconfigure example sentences and components according to the learner's level and purpose. Furthermore, there is a lack of a UI that allows users to visually understand the structure of each sentence component (subject, verb, object, etc.), and there is a lack of a mechanism for users to freely and spontaneously switch between sentence structures and components for learning.

[0006] Furthermore, although the invention described in Patent Document 1 can cultivate the ability to reflexively compose sentences by memorizing basic patterns (the five English sentence patterns), it does not necessarily correspond to pattern practice, which enables smooth speech in a variety of actual conversation situations by switching out the subject, verb, and object even within the same sentence pattern.

[0007] The present invention has been proposed in view of the above points, and one object of the present invention is to effectively support language learning based on pattern practice. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, a language learning device according to the present invention is a language learning device that provides learning content to a user terminal, and includes: an example sentence storage means that breaks down example sentences, which are the learning content, into grammatically based components and stores the resulting components; image storage means for storing images corresponding to the components; an example sentence display means for decomposing the example sentence into each of the components and displaying the decomposed example sentence on a user terminal; a randomization means for randomly switching at least one of the components displayed on the user terminal to another component; a non-display means for hiding at least one of the components; and an image display means for displaying, on a user terminal, the image corresponding to the component hidden by the non-display means; It has. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the embodiment of the present invention, language learning based on pattern practice can be effectively supported. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1]1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a network configuration of an English learning system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of an English language learning server according to the present embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the software configuration of an English language learning server according to the present embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data configuration of an example sentence DB according to the present embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an English learning screen 1 of a user terminal according to the present embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an English learning screen 2 of the user terminal according to the present embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an English learning screen 3 of the user terminal according to the present embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a control panel according to the present embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an English learning screen 1-2 of a user terminal according to the present embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an English learning screen 2-2 of the user terminal according to the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. First, English sentence patterns are composed of the main components (also called sentence components or constituents) of English grammar: subject, verb, object, and complement. In this specification, these are referred to as S (subject), V (verb), O (object), and C (complement), respectively. In addition to these essential components that determine the sentence pattern, there are additional components called M (modifiers) that broaden the meaning. Furthermore, AUX (auxiliary verbs) are a subdivision of the main verb and are included as one of the components of a sentence. When a sentence contains multiple identical elements, they are referred to according to their position, for example, O1 (first object) · O2 (second object), M1 (first modifier) ​​· M2 (second modifier), etc.

[0012] <System configuration>

[0013] (Network configuration) 1 is a diagram showing an example of the network configuration of an English learning system according to this embodiment. The English learning system 100 in FIG. 1 includes an English learning server 10 and a user terminal 30, which are connected via a network 50.

[0014] The English language learning server 10 is a server device that provides the user terminal 30 with teaching materials and content for learning English.

[0015] The user terminal 30 is a learning device owned by the user (learner), such as a PC, tablet, or smartphone. The user can use the user terminal 30 to access and log in to the English learning server 10 via a network 50 such as the Internet, and can learn English by displaying teaching materials and content on a web browser or application. A general-purpose web browser and a predetermined application program are pre-installed on the user terminal 30.

[0016] The network 50 is a communication network that may be wired or wireless, and includes various types of networks such as the Internet, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), and public line networks.

[0017] (Hardware configuration) 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an English learning server according to this embodiment. The English learning server 10 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 11, a read-only memory (ROM) 12, a random access memory (RAM) 13, a hard disk drive (HDD) 14, and a communication device 15.

[0018] The CPU 11 executes various programs and performs arithmetic processing. The ROM 12 stores programs required at startup, etc. The RAM 13 is a work area for temporarily storing processing by the CPU 11 and storing data. The HDD 14 stores various data and programs. The communication device 15 communicates with other devices via a network 50 such as the Internet.

[0019] The user terminal 30 may be, for example, a general PC, tablet terminal, or smartphone, and may be configured to include a control unit, a memory unit, a communication unit, a display unit, an input unit, a camera unit, a group of sensors, a power supply unit, and an audio unit (not shown).

[0020] (Software configuration) 3 is a diagram showing an example of the software configuration of the English learning server according to this embodiment. The English learning server 10 has, as its main functional units, an example sentence display unit 101, an image display unit 102, a text display unit 103, a randomization unit 104, a non-display unit 105, and a storage unit 109.

[0021] The example sentence display unit 101 has a function of breaking down example sentences in the example sentence DB into constituent elements and displaying them on the user terminal 30 .

[0022] The image display unit 102 has a function of displaying images corresponding to the components on the user terminal 30 .

[0023] The text display unit 103 has a function of displaying text corresponding to the elements on the user terminal.

[0024] The randomize unit 104 has a function (shuffle function) of randomly switching at least one of the components displayed on the user terminal 30 to another component.

[0025] The non-display unit 105 has a function of hiding at least one component element.

[0026] The storage unit 109 stores, in the HDD 14 or the like, an example sentence DB (database) in which English example sentences that serve as learning content are broken down into their constituent elements and pre-registered, and an image DB in which illustrated images that evoke the English of the constituent elements are pre-registered.

[0027] Each functional unit is realized by a program executed on the hardware resources such as the CPU, ROM, and RAM of the computer that constitutes the English language learning server 10. These functional units may also be referred to as "means," "modules," "units," or "circuits." Each functional unit may also be located on a separate device on the network 50. The computer program of the English language learning server 10 may be stored on a computer-readable storage medium.

[0028] (Example sentence database) 4 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the example sentence DB according to this embodiment. The example sentence DB is a database in which English example sentences that serve as learning content are broken down into their constituent elements and registered in advance. The example sentence DB according to this embodiment has data items such as "Sentence Pattern," "Example Sentence," "Slot," "SlotPhrase," "PhraseType," "SubslotID," and "SubslotElement," as examples.

[0029] "Sentence type" indicates the sentence type of the "example sentence." Examples of sentence types include the first sentence type (SV), the second sentence type (SVC), the third sentence type (SVO), the fourth sentence type (SVOO), and the fifth sentence type (SVOC). "Slot" and "SlotPhrase" indicate the component names and components (words, phrases, clauses, etc.) that have been broken down in the "example sentence." "PhraseType" indicates the phrase type of "SlotPhrase," with Word indicating a word or phrase and clause indicating a clause. "SubslotID" and "SubslotElement" indicate the component names and components that have been broken down in the clause sentence of "SlotPhrase" when "SlotPhrase" is a clause.

[0030] The example sentence DB will be described in detail later together with the explanation of the randomization process of the constituent elements by the English language learning server 10.

[0031] (Image DB) FIG. 4 shows the image database according to this embodiment, which is a database (not shown) in which illustrated images for evoking English constituent elements are pre-registered. These images are displayed as illustrative images for evoking the "Slot Phrase" in the example sentence database. Note that one image is registered for each word, and multiple images may be displayed depending on the "Slot Phrase." Needless to say, the images are not limited to illustrations and may be photographs, etc.

[0032] <English learning example> 5 is a diagram showing the English learning screen 1 of the user terminal according to this embodiment. A user can access and log in to the English learning server 10 using the user terminal 30, and display the English learning screen on the display screen (display unit) from a web browser or application.

[0033] The English learning screen 1 shown in Fig. 5 is a learning screen for the learning unit "Third Sentence Pattern (SVO)," and shows, for example, the example sentence "Do you mind his smoking?" 301. In this example sentence, the sentence is made up of the components "Do" (Aux), "you" (S), "mind" (V), and "his smoking" (O). In the example sentence according to this embodiment, the components are broken down into individual components and displayed separated by display frames 302, so that each component making up the example sentence (English sentence) can be clearly recognized.

[0034] Also displayed in each display frame 302 are the decomposed components (words, phrases, clauses, etc.) 303, the component names 304, the illustration images 305 associated with the components 303, the auxiliary text 306 associated with the components 303, and the shuffle button 307.

[0035] Specifically, for example, if the decomposed component 303 is "his smoking," the component name 304 is "O (object)," the illustrated image 305 is an illustrated image of a man smoking to evoke the component "his smoking," and a shuffle button 307 is displayed.

[0036] As mentioned above, the image database stores one image for each word, and in the case of "his smoking," two images associated with "his" and "smoking" are displayed.

[0037] In addition, in the case of the constituent element "Do" (Aux), no illustration image is registered to evoke the constituent element "Do," and in cases where it is difficult to evoke the English word for the constituent element using an illustration image, the constituent element can be evoked by displaying auxiliary text 306. Auxiliary text is stored in advance in an example sentence database or the like for each constituent element that requires auxiliary text.

[0038] In this way, on the English learning screen according to this embodiment, even long and complex English example sentences are broken down and displayed into their constituent parts, such as subject, verb, object, and modifier, making the roles and relationships of grammatical elements visually clear and enabling users to gain a deeper understanding of English sentence structure.

[0039] (Randomization function for elements) Here, the third sentence pattern has a grammatical feature that distinguishes it from other sentence patterns: a structure in which one object is present after a verb. As a training method, the user reads this example sentence aloud. Next, if the user wants to shuffle the constituent elements 303 of, for example, "O (object)," the user presses the shuffle button 307 (O).

[0040] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an English learning screen 2 of a user terminal according to this embodiment. In the English learning screen 2 shown in Fig. 6, the constituent element 303 of "O (object)" shown in Fig. 5 is randomly shuffled, and here, for example, the constituent element 303 is "the noise" and the illustrated image 305 is an illustrated image that evokes "the noise," and so on, and the constituent element 303 of "O (object)" is switched and displayed.

[0041] The user reads aloud this example sentence in which the constituent elements 303 of "O (object)" have been switched (pattern practice). If the user then wants to shuffle the constituent elements 303 of "O (object)", he or she presses the shuffle button 307 (O) again.

[0042] In addition, a back button 308 is displayed in the display frame 302 after shuffling, and if the user presses the back button 308 (O), it is possible to redisplay the component 303 of "O (object)" from one shuffle before.

[0043] Fig. 7 is a diagram showing the English learning screen 3 of the user terminal according to this embodiment. In the English learning screen 3 shown in Fig. 7, for example, the portion of the component 303 "O (object)" is switched again and displayed, such that the component 303 is "if the opens the windows" and the illustrated image 305 is an illustrated image showing a complex sentence.

[0044] Here, the component "if the opens the windows" 301 (sub) is a subordinate clause consisting of the components "if" (M1), "he" (S), "opens" (V), and "the windows" (O). Even in the case of a subordinate clause in such a complex sentence, the components that make up the example sentence are broken down into individual components and displayed separated by display frames 302 so that each component can be clearly recognized.

[0045] Also, in each display frame 302 (sub), the decomposed components (words, phrases, clauses, etc.) 303, the component names 304, illustration images 305 associated with the components 303, and auxiliary text 306 associated with the components 303 are displayed. The user reads aloud this example sentence in which the "O (object)" component 303 part has been switched (pattern practice).

[0046] A complex sentence is one that consists of one main clause (independent clause) and one or more subordinate clauses (subordinate clauses). A subordinate clause cannot be a sentence on its own, but is subordinate to the main clause and complements its meaning.

[0047] For example, in the English learning screen 1 shown in FIG. 5, if the user wants to shuffle multiple components 303, such as "you" (S) and "his smoking" (O), the user can simultaneously select the corresponding shuffle buttons 307 through a predetermined operation, thereby simultaneously switching and displaying the multiple components 303.

[0048] Furthermore, if the user wishes to shuffle the constituent elements 303 of the verb "mind" (V), the user presses the example sentence shuffle button 307 (V). Verbs have strong semantic connections with other constituent elements, and shuffling only the constituent element 303 of the verb (V) often results in an English sentence that does not make sense as a whole. For example, in the example sentence "Do you mind his smoking?", if the constituent element 303 of the verb (V) is shuffled to "open," the meaning of the entire example sentence, "Do you open his smoking?", will become unclear. For this reason, the example sentences are shuffled individually.

[0049] In this way, on the English learning screen according to this embodiment, even for the same grammatical structure, the user can shuffle the contents of the constituent elements as desired and change the constituent elements randomly. This allows the user to practice using a variety of example sentence patterns with different constituent elements for the same grammatical structure they want to learn, thereby acquiring a grammatical understanding that is not dependent on a specific sentence.

[0050] In addition, by utilizing the back button 308, etc., the student can compare the different changes in the constituent elements (before and after) before and after shuffling the example sentences, thereby acquiring grammatical structures while at the same time learning to broaden the range of various expressions even though the grammatical structures remain the same.

[0051] (Randomization of components) Next, the randomization process of constituent elements performed by the English language learning server 10 will be described with reference to the example sentence DB in Figure 4. Here, the case of the "third sentence pattern" that the user wants to learn will be described as an example (Figure 5).

[0052] At this time, when the English learning server 10 receives a display request for the English learning screen from the user terminal 30, it first refers to the "V_group_key" corresponding to the selected "sentence pattern" in the example sentence DB and randomly selects one verb population (verb group) from the verb populations. In the case of Figure 4, for example, the verb population "mind" is randomly selected from the verb populations "mind", "open", etc. of the "V_group_key" in the row indicating the third sentence pattern ("sentence pattern" = 3).

[0053] Then, one base "example sentence" is randomly selected from the verb population "mind." In the case of Figure 4, for example, the base example sentence "Do guys mind the noise?" is randomly selected from the example sentences "Do you mind if he opens the window?", "Do they mind his smoking?", and "Do guys mind the noise?".

[0054] Next, the English language learning server 10 refers to "Slot" from the verb population "mind" and randomly selects one subject and one object from the subject and object populations (in the case of the third sentence pattern), which are components other than verbs. In the case of Figure 4, the "SlotPhrase" of the subject population ("Slot" = S) is "you," "they," and "guys," so one subject, for example, "you," is selected at random from these. Also, the "SlotPhrase" of the object population ("Slot" = O) is "if he opens the window," "his smoking," and "the noise," so one object, for example, "his smoking," is selected at random from these.

[0055] Then, for the base example sentence "Do guys mind the noise?", the randomly selected subject and object components are switched to "you" and "his smoking," respectively, resulting in the display of, for example, "Do you mind his smoking?" (Figure 5).

[0056] Also, if the user presses the shuffle button 307(O) for the constituent "his smoking" 303, the English language learning server 10 refers to "Slot" from the same verb population "mind" and randomly selects one constituent from the same population as the "Slot" corresponding to the shuffle button 307(O). In the case of Figure 5, the "SlotPhrase" of the object population ("Slot" = 0) is "if he opens the window," "his smoking," and "the noise," so the randomly selected object constituent from these is switched to "the noise," and as a result, for example, "do you mind the noise?" is displayed (Figure 6).

[0057] In this way, in the example sentences in the example sentence database, it is possible to shuffle the components even in a population that has a mixture of sentence patterns and forms such as affirmative, interrogative, and negative sentences, so that the meaning of the English sentences is not disrupted by the shuffling.

[0058] Note that the randomization process of components according to this embodiment is merely an example. Depending on the structure of the example sentence DB (FIG. 4), other forms of randomization process are possible, but in any case, it is sufficient that the components that make up the English example sentences are randomly shuffled as desired by the user (components other than those desired by the user are not shuffled or fixed), and the example sentences as a whole can be switched.

[0059] (English non-display function for components) 8 is a diagram showing the control panel according to this embodiment. The function of hiding English for a component will now be described. The user can unfold and display the "Control Panel" in the upper left corner of the English learning screen, and for each component (name), can arbitrarily set whether to display or hide the English sentences (words, phrases, clauses) and / or auxiliary text for the component 303.

[0060] For example, if the user wants to hide the components and auxiliary text of the object (O1), the user selects "Auxiliary" 322 and "English" 323 in "O1" and sets them to be hidden. Also, if the user wants to hide the auxiliary text of the auxiliary verb (AUX), the user selects "Auxiliary" 322 in "AUX" and sets them to be hidden.

[0061] Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an English learning screen 1-2 of a user terminal according to this embodiment. Comparing the English learning screen 1-2 shown in Fig. 9 with the English learning screen 1 in Fig. 5, it can be seen that the component 303 in the object (O1), "his smoking?", and the auxiliary text 306 of the auxiliary verb (AUX) are not displayed.

[0062] The user uses the illustrated image 305 as a hint to guess the hidden object while keeping the English constituent 303 of the object (O1) hidden, and reads the example sentence aloud. More specifically, the user may recall the English word "his smoking" as the constituent 303 of the object (O1) from the illustrated image 305 of a man and smoking, and read the entire example sentence aloud as "Do you mind his smoking?" Next, if the user wants to shuffle the constituents 303 of "O (object)," for example, the user presses the shuffle button 307(O).

[0063] Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an English learning screen 2-2 of a user terminal according to this embodiment. Comparing the English learning screen 2-2 shown in Fig. 10 with the English learning screen 2 in Fig. 6, it can be seen that the component 303 in the object (O1), "the noise?", and the auxiliary text 306 of the auxiliary verb (AUX) are not displayed.

[0064] Similarly, the user reads aloud this example sentence while hiding the English component 303 in the object (O1) and guesses the hidden object using the illustration image 305 as a hint. More specifically, for the object of the previous example sentence, "Do you mind his smoking?", the user can recall the English word "the noise" as the component 303 in the object (O1) from the illustration image 305 of noise, switch the object part, and read aloud the entire example sentence as "Do you mind the noise?" (blind pattern practice).

[0065] In this way, on the English learning screen according to this embodiment, even for the same grammatical structure, the user can shuffle the contents of the constituent elements as desired and change the constituent elements randomly. This allows the user to practice using a variety of example sentence patterns with different constituent elements for the same grammatical structure they want to learn, thereby acquiring a grammatical understanding that is not dependent on a specific sentence.

[0066] Furthermore, the English language hiding function and illustration image display function for each component according to this embodiment allow students to use the illustration images as hints to practice guessing the English meanings needed to fill in the components while imagining actual conversational situations, enabling learning that is not dependent on Japanese. At the same time, the illustration images improve memory retention through visual aspects and foster natural English thinking. Furthermore, users can freely set the display / hide of components they wish to practice, allowing them to adjust the difficulty level according to their level. Furthermore, practicing with the English language hidden in any component allows students to focus on overcoming weaknesses, for example. In this way, understanding the English meanings and English language directly from the illustration images without relying on Japanese enables more natural language acquisition and fosters an English brain that does not rely on Japanese. Furthermore, hiding the English language in all components also enables learning English composition.

[0067] While the present invention has been described above by showing particular examples according to preferred embodiments of the present invention, it will be apparent that various modifications and changes can be made to these examples without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims. In other words, the details of the examples and the accompanying drawings should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0068] The English language learning system 100 according to this embodiment can be applied not only to English but also to other languages ​​as a language learning system to be learned.

[0069] The English language learning system 100 according to this embodiment may have a function for reading out example sentences (including after shuffling and when the hide function is enabled) aloud. This allows the user to understand correct example sentences by audio, which would otherwise be difficult to understand from the illustration image alone, and may also contribute to improving language listening skills.

[0070] The English learning system according to this embodiment can also be implemented as an English learning program (application). The downloaded English learning program is installed on the user terminal 30. This allows the user to learn English even without the English learning server 10 and network 50. In this case, the user terminal 30 can function as an English learning device, with the functional units of the English learning server 10 (FIG. 4) configured as functions of the user terminal 30. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 10 English learning server 20 User terminal 50 Network 100 English Learning System 101 Example sentence display section 102 Image display unit 103 Text display section 104 Randomization Department 105 Hidden part 109 Storage section

Claims

1. A language learning device that provides learning content to a user terminal, an example sentence storage means for storing example sentences, which are learning content, by breaking them down into grammatically based components; image storage means for storing images corresponding to the components; an example sentence display means for decomposing the example sentence into each of the components and displaying the decomposed example sentence on a user terminal; a randomization means for randomly switching at least one of the components displayed on the user terminal to another component; a non-display means for hiding at least one of the components; an image display means for displaying, on a user terminal, the image corresponding to the component hidden by the hiding means; A language learning device comprising:

2. a text display means for displaying text corresponding to the component on a user terminal when the image corresponding to the component hidden by the hiding means is not stored; 2. The language learning device according to claim 1, further comprising:

3. The example sentence is a complex sentence consisting of a main clause and a subordinate clause, the example sentence storage means decomposes the example sentence of the subordinate clause into grammatical components and stores the decomposed example sentence; the example sentence display means decomposes the example sentence of the subordinate clause into each of the constituent elements and displays the decomposed example sentence on the user terminal; 2. The language learning device according to claim 1, wherein:

4. Computer, an example sentence storage means for storing example sentences, which are learning content, by breaking them down into grammatically based components; image storage means for storing images corresponding to the components; an example sentence display means for decomposing the example sentence into each of the components and displaying the decomposed example sentence on a user terminal; a randomization means for randomly switching at least one of the components displayed on the user terminal to another component; a non-display means for hiding at least one of the components; an image display means for displaying, on a user terminal, the image corresponding to the component hidden by the hiding means; A language learning program to help you function.

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