PARSING, ERROR DIAGNOSTICS AND INSTRUCTION IN A FRENCH TUTOR

• Published in: CALICO journal Vol. 9; no. 1; pp. 9 - 25
• Main Authors: Labrie, Gilles, Singh, L.P.S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Toronto CALICO 1991; University of Toronto Press
• Subjects: Artificial Intelligence; Computer Assisted Instruction; Computers; Design engineering; Diagnostic systems; Educational Strategies; Error analysis; Error Analysis (Language); Error Correction; Error detection; Errors; French; Grammar; Grammatical gender; Interrogative sentences; Nouns; Parsing; Periodicals; Phonemes; Pronouns; Second Language Learning; Sentences; Speech; Strategy; Students; Subject pronouns; Syntax; Systematic errors; Teaching Methods; Tutoring; Tutors; Verbs; Vowels; Words
• ISSN: 0742-7778; 2056-9017; 2056-9017
• DOI: 10.1558/cj.v9i1.9-25

This paper describes the strategy used in Miniprof, a program designed to provide "intelligent" instruction on elementary topics in French. In case of an erroneous response from a student, the program engages him/her in a Socratic dialogue. It asks specific questions about the sentence involved, thereby leading the student to identify each mistake and its correction. The systematic error detection and subsequent human-like instruction specific to the student's response is achieved by using three major functions: parsing, error diagnostics, and tutoring. The design of the system and the issues involved are discussed.