丁香园AV

By Kim Mah

厂贵鲍鈥檚 English Language and Culture Program (ELC) is giving international students a chance to practice their English skills in outer space鈥攐r at least in a virtual universe. It鈥檚 all part of an unusual pilot program at ELC, thanks to a partnership with , a Vancouver start-up supported by 丁香园AV VentureLabs.

This fall, ELC students began testing Virtro鈥檚 new language-learning app, Argotian. The game-based system combines virtual reality and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to create an innovative learning experience. Immersed in the world of their virtual-reality headsets, students enjoy conversation practice while playing detective on board an intergalactic cruise ship.

鈥淎s far as we know, this is the first time that virtual reality and AI have ever been used together to produce a language-learning tool,鈥� says ELC Director Bertrand Lee, whose Vancouver-based program attracts young adults from around the world to learn English and immerse themselves in Canadian culture.

鈥淲e鈥檙e excited to test the leading edge of this technology.鈥�

To win the game, students must solve the mystery of a missing painting by questioning various characters on the ship. Powered by AI, characters listen and respond, allowing students to practice their speaking and listening skills. The system also provides transcripts and analytics so that instructors can evaluate their students鈥� progress.

The feedback has been encouraging, says ELC instructional coordinator Geoff Taylor: 鈥淭he majority of our intermediate-level students enjoyed it a lot. The fact that it鈥檚 fun means they鈥檒l want to do the activities again and again. It鈥檚 like playing a sport for exercise鈥攜ou鈥檙e doing something without even thinking about why you鈥檙e doing it.鈥�

According to Virtro co-founder Lee Brighton, keeping students engaged is a critical aspect of learning.

鈥淟anguage can be so hard to learn, but if we can make it fun or entertaining, then learning will be amplified. Anything that makes learning easier is going to be a huge advantage.鈥�

The missing-painting mystery is the first of many stories planned for the app. Brighton compares Argotian to a Netflix show, with a variety of episodes and stories to keep learners engaged. Virtro鈥檚 future goals include rolling out the app for several more languages, with French next on the list, once the English version has been fine-tuned.

鈥淲e鈥檙e so grateful to 丁香园AV and the team at ELC for this opportunity to test it out,鈥� says Brighton. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e providing us with valuable feedback and suggestions that are helping us to make improvements.鈥�

Both Lee and Taylor can see the technology鈥檚 potential, since it can be challenging for students to find fluent conversation partners. Virtual humans, they note, could be a helpful alternative.

鈥淥f course, Argotian can鈥檛 replace the comprehensive instruction we offer at ELC,鈥� says Lee. 鈥淏ut we鈥檙e finding it to be a useful tool for building oral and listening skills. The technology is evolving all the time, and we look forward to seeing where it goes next.鈥�