Visual Representations Is Lexical Learning Environments: Application To The Alexia System

Thierry Chanier (1) , Thierry Selva (2)

1 LIFC - Laboratoire d’informatique de l’université de Franche-Comté
2 KU Leuven - Catholic University of Leuven = Katholieke Universiteit Leuven

Cognition-based arguments in support of using multimedia aids for the learning of vocabulary have so far offered only an imprecise, general framework. CALL experimentalists have also tried to establish the effectiveness of multimedia for vocabulary learning, but their attempts reveal that the underlying representations have not been clearly defined. After reviewing these points, we propose criteria for evaluating the quality of a visual representation in a lexical environment. These criteria are then used to discuss visual representations in paper and electronic dictionaries and in CALL environments. A kind of confusion has been made between multimedia and nonverbal knowledge. Hence visual representations are scarce and limited to concrete words. One way to extend multimedia in lexical learning is to rely on linguistic knowledge and build lexical networks. We present the ALEXIA system, a lexical learning environment for French as a second/foreign language. We detail its network module which can automatically build graphs of some lexical semantic relations. It is a first step for offering learners representations they can easily interpret. Visual representations which can cover a significant part of the lexicon are computable, extendable and interactive.

Mots clés: Computational linguistics. Natural language processing; Language and literature; Education/ Computer-assisted education; learner dictionary; cognitive issues; vocabulary; lexical graphs; visual representations; Computer-assisted instruction; Education -- Data processing; Language and languages -- Study and teaching; Educational technologies; Information and communications technology; Foreign language/ foreign language as teaching language

Mots clés: Nouvelles technologies de l´information et de la communication; Enseignement assisté par ordinateur; Education et informatique; Langage et langues -- Etude et enseignement

Domaines: Education

Thierry Chanier, Thierry Selva. Visual Representations Is Lexical Learning Environments: Application To The Alexia System. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 1998, 11 (5), pp.489-521. ⟨edutice-00000283⟩