Interactive Drama Inc. (IDI) has developed a
voice-activated multimedia language simulation that allows linguists to engage in dialogue
with native Arabic speakers. The program is [on display] at the CALL (Center for the
Advancement of Language Learning) Resource Center.
The Virtual Conversations®
Arabic series allows the user to conduct simulated
face-to-face interviews, in Modern Standard Arabic and Iraqi Dialect, with four native
Arabic speakers portraying the characters of a civilian émigré, an enemy prisoner of
war, an Iraqi Air Force pilot, and a Kurdish refugee. Each of the programs also includes
an "instructor" who teaches the rhythm, sounds, and meanings of the Arabic
phrases used in the character interrogations.
The Arabic series was put through multiple field tests at DLI
in Monterey, CA. In all, 36 DLI Arabic language students participated. Data gathered from
the first field test showed the technological feasibility of the model. All 23 of the
subjects felt as though they were talking to an actual person and each enjoyed the
experience. None of the subjects had trouble using the system independently. The second
experiment (a phenomenological design involving four subjects) determined that listening
comprehension, reading, and speaking skills, as well as student confidence using the
language, showed measurable improvement after exposure to the series.
The third, and most rigorous, experiment used DLI
evaluative instruments to assess the effectiveness of the model to increase proficiency
levels. Nine intermediate students in a DLI Arabic refresher course used the series
exclusively for four days. The data from this test provides statistical proof that the Virtual Conversations® method improves speaking,
listening, and reading skills, and that a linguist can rapidly recover lost language
skills by participating in this simulated immersion experience. These data were presented
by IDI’s Dr. William Harless and Dr. Bob Duncan to Col. Dan Devlin, Dr. Ray Clifford,
Dr. John Lett and their respective staffs last November at DLI. Publication of the
complete data from these field tests is in progress.
IDI will be demonstrating their language programs at the 4th
Annual Language Training and Technology Expo at DLI in May. To learn more about this Virtual Conversations® series, including pricing and
purchasing terms, please contact Interactive Drama, Inc.
