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From Utterances to Speech Acts

By Mikhail Kissine

"Kissine offers a new theory of speech acts which is philosophically sophisticated and builds on work in cognitive science, formal semantics, and linguistic typology. This highly readable, brilliant essay is a major contribution to the field."

--François Recanati, Institut Jean-Nicod

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Summary Details


Query:   Open Source Language Learning/Addendum
Author:  Doug Whalen
Submitter Email:  click here to access email
Linguistic LingField(s):   Computational Linguistics

Summary:   A while back, I posted this query:

> Does anyone know of any open-source programs for teaching a language?
> Ideally, this would be something modularized so that new languages
> could be introduced into the system.

I received some responses, which I summarize below. I thank:
Monica Ward
Anders Damgren H?jen
Deborah W. Anderson
John Dowding

Monica Ward had the most directly relevant posting:

>I have developed a template for developing CALL (Computer Assisted Language
>Learning) materials for Endangered Languages (although it could be used for
>any language). I have used XML technologies and the design is modular.
>
>I have developed courseware in Nawat (or Pipil), an Endangered Language of
>El Salvador. There is an online version of the course at:
>http://www.compapp.dcu.ie/~mward/nawat.html
>
>There is also a CD and a printed version (for those with no computer
>access).
>
>I have started working with Louanna Furbee on developing a version for the
>Tojolab'al language of Mexico.
>
>I have also developed a (very rough) demo lesson for Kabiye (a language of
>Togo, Benin). It is available at:
>
>http://www.compapp.dcu.ie/~mward/kabiye/L01/html/lesson1_eng.html
>
>It is not difficult to generate the courseware (it mainly involves entering
>plain text into files and running a script to create the web pages).
>
>The aim of the template is to enable Endangered Language communities to
>develop CALL courseware easily and without too much difficulty. I believe
>that developing modern, online courseware can help raise the prestige of a
>language, both within the EL community and amongst the wider community
>(amongst other benefits). I have written several papers about the template
>and CALL in the EL context.

Deborah Anderson also had reference to a relevant project:

>One resource being developed at UC Davis in Open Remote
>Collaboration Tool (OpenRCT), described at
>http://davinci.cs.ucdavis.edu/ . This is being supported (or is in
>some way related to) the UC Language Consortium as a means to teach
>languages, though it can also be used for other purposes as well.
>They have a multilingual chat capability, which works well in a
>cross-platform environment, except for a particular problem with
>Arabic on the Mac. The developers, under Dick Walters, are eager for
>input and would be happy to answer questions.

She also pointed out that there is an email list called Language
Learning Technology International at LLTI@dartmouth.edu, which might
be a place to continue a discussion about open source programs; there
is not much there right now.

Anders Damgren H?jen pointed out VISL (http://visl.hum.sdu.dk/visl/),
which has tools for various languages. It is not immediately clear
whether this is open source or not, but it's a very interesting site.

John Dowding runs a web site that makes some open source software
available: http://www.OpenNLP.com. None of this is geared toward
language learning, but it might be useful for other interface issues.

Thanks to all,
Doug Whalen DhW
-
Doug Whalen (whalen@haskins.yale.edu)
Haskins Laboratories
270 Crown St.
New Haven, CT 06511
203-865-6163, ext. 234
FAX: 203-865-8963
http://www.haskins.yale.edu/

LL Issue: 13.2303
Date Posted: 13-Sep-2002
Original Query: Read original query


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