The purpose of this study is to identify the potential of chatbots in the academic foreign language learning. A chatbot is a software which is capable of chatting with other human and non-human users in a natural language. Even though this technology is mostly used in the business world, its relevance in the field of Digital Humanities has constantly grown recently. After a brief introduction to the chatbot technology, the study focuses on the main characteristics of human-computer interaction (HCI). Phenomena such as quasi-coherence, computer (or bot) talk, and quasi-alignment play a very important role in HCI, which is shown by several examples of interactions with two chatbots: Elbot and Cleverbot. Starting from these characteristics, the study considers the potential of chatbots in the language learning process by answering the following question: in what way does language education change if chatbots intervene in the learning/teaching process? The study describes the reconfiguration of the relationship student-language-teacher through the intervention of technology as interlocutor. The traditional configuration of the didactic triangle turns into a didactic tetrahedron. In comparison to the triangle, the tetrahedron has three dimensions and is more flexible and multidirectional. At the end, a didactic proposal for enhancing communicative competence by interacting with a chatbot in an academic context is described, also with reference to disabled (especially visually impaired) students.
Oggetto dello studio è il potenziale glottodidattico dei chatbot in un contesto di apprendimento accademico. I chatbot sono programmi capaci di sostenere una conversazione via chat con interlocutori umani e non umani in una lingua naturale. Sebbene oggigiorno tale tecnologia trovi applicazione soprattutto in ambito commerciale, la sua rilevanza nelle Digital Humanities cresce costantemente. Dopo una breve introduzione alla tecnologia dei chatbot, la trattazione si sposta sulle caratteristiche principali dell’interazione uomo-macchina. Particolare attenzione viene rivolta ai concetti di quasi-coerenza, bot (o computer) talk e alla loro fenomenologia in chat, esemplificata attraverso i chatbot Elbot e Cleverbot, nonché alle dinamiche di (quasi-)alignment. Sulla base di queste caratteristiche si riflette inoltre sul potenziale glottodidattico dei chatbot rispondendo alla seguente domanda: come cambia la (glotto)didattica con l’impiego dei chatbot? Si parte da una riconfigurazione del rapporto discente-lingua-docente, che, con l’intervento della tecnologia come interlocutrice diretta, non si presenta più come triangolo didattico, bensì come tetraedro. A differenza del triangolo, il modello tetraedrale è tridimensionale, flessibile e pluridirezionale. Il lavoro si conclude con la presentazione di una proposta didattica concreta mirata allo sviluppo della competenza comunicativa in ambito accademico, considerando anche i discenti diversamente abili (specialmente ipovedenti).
Bot talk e apprendimento linguistico. L’uso dei chatbot per lo sviluppo della competenza comunicativa nella lingua straniera
Francesca Mazzilli
2018-01-01
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to identify the potential of chatbots in the academic foreign language learning. A chatbot is a software which is capable of chatting with other human and non-human users in a natural language. Even though this technology is mostly used in the business world, its relevance in the field of Digital Humanities has constantly grown recently. After a brief introduction to the chatbot technology, the study focuses on the main characteristics of human-computer interaction (HCI). Phenomena such as quasi-coherence, computer (or bot) talk, and quasi-alignment play a very important role in HCI, which is shown by several examples of interactions with two chatbots: Elbot and Cleverbot. Starting from these characteristics, the study considers the potential of chatbots in the language learning process by answering the following question: in what way does language education change if chatbots intervene in the learning/teaching process? The study describes the reconfiguration of the relationship student-language-teacher through the intervention of technology as interlocutor. The traditional configuration of the didactic triangle turns into a didactic tetrahedron. In comparison to the triangle, the tetrahedron has three dimensions and is more flexible and multidirectional. At the end, a didactic proposal for enhancing communicative competence by interacting with a chatbot in an academic context is described, also with reference to disabled (especially visually impaired) students.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.