English cai: A user—initiative cai system with machine translation techniques

This paper describes a construction of a new CAI model for language education employing a machine translation system. The model includes the machine translation and the error correction mechanisms. By the machine translation mechanism, the system can receive the input from the student and return the translation or instruct the syntax. When an incorrect sentence is given from the student, the machine utilizes the error-correction mechanism to analyze the sentence and instruct how the error is produced. The curriculum for the CAI system is placed outside the system as a dedicated text, and the user is free to choose the test. Based on such a model, the authors have developed a CAI system (English CAI) to teach English to the junior high school student. The system is actually operated in an educational situation. A field test is demonstrated in which the mechanisms for machine translation and error-correction functioned effectively as a means to answer questions, providing a good assistance to learning.