Human tutors, in dealing with non-native speakers, draw from their knowledge of common learner mistakes to understand learner speech and offer effective corrective advice. In this paper we present our work towards embedding some of this knowledge in the speech recognition and learner speech error detection subsystems of the Tactical Language Training System (TLTS). We discuss the implementation...

Employing an explanatory sequential design, the present study investigated the effect of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) blog-mediated writing instruction on the students’ learner autonomy. A number of 46 learners who were the students of two intact classes were randomly assigned to control and experimental groups.  Over a 16-week semester, the control group students (n = 21) were taught ba...

We present an algorithm for learning context free grammars from positive structural examples (unlabeled parse trees). The algorithm receives a parameter in the form of a finite set of structures and the class of languages learnable by the algorithm depends on this parameter. Every context free language belongs to many such learnable classes. A second part of the algorithm is then used to determ...

In recent years, the range and complexity of both language learning technology and the environments in which learners utilize it have become more central factors in language education. Given the already stunning—and growing—number of technological options for language learning, teachers working with both established and emerging applications for learning tasks and activities face the problem of...