Engkey is an English teacher/robot supposedly. As far as I can tell it's only good for correcting pronunciation errors (as students run through memorized conversations) and even then I find it hard to believe it knows "natural pronunciation". But the real issue is that we know Behaviorism and the ALM have severe limitations.
You have to wonder if Choi Mun-taek (the team leader working on these "intelligent" robots) knows his SLA not only because of the robots' behavioristic teaching style but also because he says a robot with a female voice is more effective for teaching than a robot with a male voice. Is that backed up by science or just common sense?
Nevertheless, the Education Ministry wants every kindergarten to have one (8,400) by 2013. They say Engkey can replace native speakers. I say if you're in Kindergarten you don't need a robot or a native English speaker.
Interesting story here that could make for a good discussion topic on political correctness.
I wanted to actually see the video but I can't turn off safety mode on Youtube...
Brian Melendez called the video "sexist and offensive."
"The day when a woman was judged by her looks rather than her competence and intelligence should have passed three generations ago," Melendez said in a statement Tuesday. "But apparently Republican leaders in the year 2010 still think of that bygone era as the good old days, and want to bring it back." Melendez called for the video's removal and an apology from branch GOP chairman Joe Salmon.
Local Republican state House candidate Andrea Kieffer also requested that the video be removed, Paul Schmelzer reports for the Minnesota Independent. Kieffer called the video a "juvenile attempt at 'marketing.' "
"This is not something I would condone, and I am sending a request that the webmaster take it down immediately,"
branch GOP chairman Joe Salmon took a parting shot at what he seems to view as the humorless enforcers of political correctness. "It [is] really unfortunate to relearn that the other side is severely lacking a sense of humor."
Contracts in China:
Communication in China:
List of cultural differences: