Intelligent Tutoring Systems for Foreign Language Learning: The Bridge to International Communication

Multilingual communication within the world community is important for economic, political, and cultural interactions. In a global environment where other languages are increasing in importance in addition to recognized intemational standards (i. e., English and French), language learning is becoming more important for improved international relations. At the same time, recent advances in instructional technology make the promise of building intelligent tutoring systems in advanced technology laboratories to teach these language skills a reality in the near future. These tutoring systems, therefore, may help us foster improved methods for acquiring languages. As active language learners and instructional technology researchers, we felt an international meeting with similar individuals was needed to discuss how such advanced tutoring systems are to be designed and implemented. We held such a meeting, the results of which are presented in this volume. The purpose of this Advanced Workshop, sponsored by the NATO Scientific Affairs Division, was to bring together a multidisciplinary group of researchers who were active in the development of intelligent tutoring systems for foreign language learning. Participants came from computer science, computational linguistics, psychology, and foreign language learning. Washington, D.C. was selected for the Workshop site since it is Merryanna's home city, the capitol of the United States, and an international, multilingual community in its own right. Masoud agreed to the location (with a promise to be shown the White House!) and graciously volunteered to coordinate activities from the European side.