Towards computer-assisted language learning with robots, wikipedia and CogInfoCom

Computer-Assisted Language Learning is being transformed by the use of humanoid robots combined with Wikipedia-based information access and CogInfoCom systems. The learner´s engagement in language-learning dialogues is strengthened by the robot´s non-verbal behaviour such as nodding, gesturing and face-tracking, and the learner´s level of interest can be estimated by monitoring the learner´s non-verbal signals through gaze-tracking and proximity measurement. In this paper we discuss new approaches in which robotassisted language learning is further enhanced by the use of CogInfoCom channels to extend the learner´s engagement and interest. We focus on the robot´s use of Wikipedia-based information access to greatly extend the range of topics that the robot can talk about during language-learning spoken dialogues, and describe natural language processing techniques to generate questions from Wikipedia information, so the robot can ask new questions about the learner´s preferred topics. We predict that the learner´s interest level is increased when the learner can navigate in Wikipedia to dialogue topics of personal interest rather than being restricted to topics chosen by the teacher.