Evaluating a Conversational Agent for Second Language Learning Aligned with the School Curriculum

Abstract

Interaction and its underlying processes have long been considered foundational to second language learning. Language learners, however, are often presented with few opportunities for meaningful, interactive practice. The rapid advancements in speech and language technologies in recent years have given rise to a number of conversational agents seeking to address this need within the interdisciplinary research area of dialogue-based computer-assisted language learning (CALL). While dialogue-based CALL has been shown to foster language proficiency development, it is crucial that a system is evaluated from multiple dimensions, from the technological sufficiency of the underlying components to learning and intercultural outcomes. In this paper, we present the plans and status of three studies targeting different aspects of a conversational agent, Aisla, developed for use in German secondary schools and aligned with the linguistic and intercultural goals of the English as a foreign language curriculum.