Some electronic language programs

CMU French Online
This uses very short video dialogues (evidently taped in France) as the basis of interactive exercises. Most of the exercises involve replaying each phrase of the audio to be sure that one hears and understands it correctly. The student gets immediate feedback. The focus is on contemporary situations. Analysis includes some grammar work and an opportunity to repeat the phrases (but not record them).

This looks to me like a good course supplement but not really a stand-alone course. One would need at least a textbook for reference, and there seems to be no room for the spontaneous learning of the classroom.

It would not be difficult (though no doubt tedious) to design exercises like this around the videos our program has already produced. Thus instead of giving students paper exercises

It is free for a year in beta right now. After that presumably it will be marketed.


Robo Sensei       Demo lessons

This program claims to use natural language processing/artificial intelligence to interpret students'  keyboarded input in Japanese. Normally feedback in online exercises depends on a database of possible responses; here, however, the program actually "reads" the student's response and answers appropriately (e.g. if one types a word that does not exist, it points that out....). There is extensive grammar and cultural content; in the sections I looked at, this was in English, but presumably in the advanced section it is in Japanese. I did not see any video, just photographs. The cultural emphasis combines historical and contemporary. It would be nice if there was a speaking interface too (perhaps there is and I did not see it).

This strikes me as something of great potential value to students who have passed the raw elementary stage and are ready to put together sentences of their own. They would probably skip the preliminary grammar but get back what explanations they need by composing the sentences and reading responses.

I don't know where natural language processing in Chinese is at this point.

The program is distributed by Cheng & Tsui.


Barbara Nelson's Spanish study modules

Each module is based on a song with audio, text, and image(s), or a short video. Grammar exercises have a single focus (e.g. the future tense). The materials are chosen for high cultural content, too, which would make them of good use in the classroom. The use of songs (for which she gets permission)  means that students are likely to learn the songs by heart, thus acquiring vocabulary and idioms well beyond the lessons themselves.

Aside from getting permission, this is a good way to get elementary students involved in contemporary cultural issues of the target country.

Barbara creates these in her spare time, programming the HTML herself. They are posted free on the internet.