The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology (문화기술의 융합)

The International Promotion Agency of Culture Technology (국제문화기술진흥원)
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An interactive teachable agent system for EFL learners

대화형 Teachable Agent를 이용한 영어말하기학습 시스템

  • Kyung A Lee ;
  • Sun-Bum Lim (Dept. of IT Engineering & ICT Convergence Research Institute, Sookmyung Women's Univ)
  • 이경아 (숙명여자대학교 IT공학과) ;
  • 임순범 (숙명여자대학교 IT공학과)
  • Received : 2023.04.14
  • Accepted : 2023.05.08
  • Published : 2023.05.31
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Abstract

In an environment where English is a foreign language, English learners can use AI voice chatbots in English-speaking practice activities to enhance their speaking motivation, provide opportunities for communication practice, and improve their English speaking ability. In this study, we propose a teaching-style AI voice chatbot that can be easily utilized by lower elementary school students and enhance their learning. To apply the Teachable Agent system to language learning, which is an activity based on tense, context, and memory, we proposed a new method of TA by applying the Teachable Agent to reflect the learner's English pronunciation and level and generate the agent's answers according to the learner's errors and implemented a Teachable Agent AI chatbot prototype. We conducted usability evaluations with actual elementary English teachers and elementary school students to demonstrate learning effects. The results of this study can be applied to motivate students who are not interested in learning or elementary school students to voluntarily participate in learning through role-switching.

영어가 외국어로서 사용되는 환경에서 영어 말하기 연습 활동에 AI 음성 챗봇을 사용했을 때 영어학습자들은 발화 동기가 높아지고 의사소통 연습의 기회가 많아져 결과적으로 영어 말하기 능력을 향상 시킬 수 있다. 본 연구에서는 초등학생 저학년의 경우에도 쉽게 활용 가능하고 학습효과를 높일 수 있는 가르치기 방식의 AI 음성 챗봇을 제안한다. 시제와 맥락과 기억에 기반한 활동인 언어학습에 Teachable Agent 시스템을 적용하기 위해 Teachable Agent에 학습자의 영어 발음과 수준을 반영하고, 학습자 오류에 맞추어 에이전트의 답변을 생성하는 방식을 적용하여 새로운 방식의 TA를 제안하고 이를 적용한 Teachable Agent AI 챗봇 프로토타입을 구현하였다. 실제 초등 영어 선생님과 초등학생을 대상으로 사용성 평가를 진행하여 학습 효과를 입증하였다. 본 연구 결과는 역할 전환을 통해 학습에 흥미가 없는 학생 또는 초등 저학년들이 학습에 스스로 참여할 수 있는 동기부여를 할 수 있도록 적용할 수 있다.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

본 연구는 과학기술정보통신부 및 정보통신기획평가원의 ICT혁신인재4.0 사업의 연구 결과로 수행되었음. (IITP-2022-RS-2022-00156299)

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