CHATTER : a spoken language dialogue system for language learning applications

Abstract

The goal of this thesis is to build a Computer Aided Language Learning game that simulates a casual conversation in Mandarin Chinese. In the envisioned system, users will chat with a computer on topics ranging from relationship status to favorite Chinese dish. I hope to provide learners with more opportunities to practice speaking and reading foreign languages. The system was designed with generality in mind. The framework allows developers to easily implement dialogue systems to allow students to practice communications in a variety of situations, such as in a street market, at a restaurant, or in a hospital. A user simulator was also implemented, which was useful for the code development, as a tutor for the student, and as an evaluation tool. All of the 18 topics were covered within the 20 sample dialogues, no two dialogues took the same path, questions and remarks were worded differently, and no two users had the same profile, resulting in high variety, coherence, and natural language quality.