Comments on: Review of WordChamp, LingQ and their mashup http://blog.outerthoughts.com/2007/07/review-of-wordchamp-lingq-and-their-mashup/ > From inner thoughts to the outer limits of Alexandre Rafalovitch Thu, 21 Aug 2008 22:50:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Alexandre Rafalovitch http://blog.outerthoughts.com/2007/07/review-of-wordchamp-lingq-and-their-mashup/#comment-215 Alexandre Rafalovitch Wed, 18 Jul 2007 15:32:23 +0000 http://blog.outerthoughts.com/2007/07/review-of-wordchamp-lingq-and-their-mashup/#comment-215 Hello Dmitriy, A simple example would be conjugation of the verb. WordChamp supports that in two ways. When you enter a word, it finds the infinitive from the conjugated form. Also, when you want to understand or practice the verb it has conjugation tables and conjugation flashcards. LingQ only has the first one provided by the dictionary it uses. Other example would be identifying common problems in learning languages, such as noun-adjective agreement on plurality, gender, etc. (большая машина, большие машины). Many programs will identify that you made a mistake during an exercise; deep support of the language would mean noticing that the mistake is a case of agreement error and increase number and/or frequency of exercises on that specific area or even offering to review it directly. This is something that a good tutor will do in a one-on-one class, but they don't have time to do in the group classes. Next generation language learning system could (and should) offer this kind of functionalities. Hello Dmitriy,
A simple example would be conjugation of the verb. WordChamp supports that in two ways. When you enter a word, it finds the infinitive from the conjugated form. Also, when you want to understand or practice the verb it has conjugation tables and conjugation flashcards. LingQ only has the first one provided by the dictionary it uses.

Other example would be identifying common problems in learning languages, such as noun-adjective agreement on plurality, gender, etc. (большая машина, большие машины).

Many programs will identify that you made a mistake during an exercise; deep support of the language would mean noticing that the mistake is a case of agreement error and increase number and/or frequency of exercises on that specific area or even offering to review it directly.

This is something that a good tutor will do in a one-on-one class, but they don’t have time to do in the group classes. Next generation language learning system could (and should) offer this kind of functionalities.

]]> By: Dmitriy http://blog.outerthoughts.com/2007/07/review-of-wordchamp-lingq-and-their-mashup/#comment-214 Dmitriy Wed, 18 Jul 2007 13:50:51 +0000 http://blog.outerthoughts.com/2007/07/review-of-wordchamp-lingq-and-their-mashup/#comment-214 Hello Alexandre. Thanks for the survey of both systems. What do you mean by "deep support for the specifics of the learner’s target language". As I understood it must be some features a of system. What kind of features? Hello Alexandre.

Thanks for the survey of both systems.

What do you mean by “deep support for the specifics of the learner’s target language”. As I understood it must be some features a of system. What kind of features?

]]> By: Alexandre Rafalovitch http://blog.outerthoughts.com/2007/07/review-of-wordchamp-lingq-and-their-mashup/#comment-213 Alexandre Rafalovitch Sat, 07 Jul 2007 22:50:17 +0000 http://blog.outerthoughts.com/2007/07/review-of-wordchamp-lingq-and-their-mashup/#comment-213 Steve, Thank you for commenting. I am looking forward to more functionality in LingQ. I understand your comment about the community, though I, myself, feel that Internet with its growing user base could probably allow for many more users if the right functionality was there. Steve,

Thank you for commenting. I am looking forward to more functionality in LingQ.

I understand your comment about the community, though I, myself, feel that Internet with its growing user base could probably allow for many more users if the right functionality was there.

]]> By: Steve http://blog.outerthoughts.com/2007/07/review-of-wordchamp-lingq-and-their-mashup/#comment-212 Steve Sat, 07 Jul 2007 22:26:44 +0000 http://blog.outerthoughts.com/2007/07/review-of-wordchamp-lingq-and-their-mashup/#comment-212 Alexandre, Thank you for this review.LingQ is only getting started. You will see more and more functionality there. We will also expand the number of dictionaries that can be accessed and get better ones. We will speed up our search function and much more. We have lots of things on our list. It is just that with one programmer things move very slowly. I still believe that the community will be more important than the functionality. That is why our multi-lingual approach will, in the long run, be the right way for us to go. Please stay tuned. Alexandre,

Thank you for this review.LingQ is only getting started. You will see more and more functionality there. We will also expand the number of dictionaries that can be accessed and get better ones. We will speed up our search function and much more. We have lots of things on our list. It is just that with one programmer things move very slowly.

I still believe that the community will be more important than the functionality. That is why our multi-lingual approach will, in the long run, be the right way for us to go. Please stay tuned.

]]> By: Alexandre Rafalovitch http://blog.outerthoughts.com/2007/07/review-of-wordchamp-lingq-and-their-mashup/#comment-211 Alexandre Rafalovitch Sat, 07 Jul 2007 22:15:57 +0000 http://blog.outerthoughts.com/2007/07/review-of-wordchamp-lingq-and-their-mashup/#comment-211 Hello Ilya, Glad that you found the article useful. Sure, I would be happy to chat about your project. I will contact you by email. As to the similar articles, they are mostly in the "Language Acquisition" category with some extra under "e-Books" category. Hello Ilya,

Glad that you found the article useful. Sure, I would be happy to chat about your project. I will contact you by email.

As to the similar articles, they are mostly in the “Language Acquisition” category with some extra under “e-Books” category.

]]> By: ilya http://blog.outerthoughts.com/2007/07/review-of-wordchamp-lingq-and-their-mashup/#comment-210 ilya Sat, 07 Jul 2007 21:28:47 +0000 http://blog.outerthoughts.com/2007/07/review-of-wordchamp-lingq-and-their-mashup/#comment-210 Hi Alexandre, BOLSHOE SPASIBO for responding with such a thorough comparison between WordChamp and LinqQ. I was pleasantly surprised to find many things on your blog that of great interst to me. In particular, just now I have read your paper for TeleRead about e-books for language learning. Some time ago I also concluded e-books for language learners, both their format and functionality,could and should be different from the e-books for the native speakers. Unexpectedly for myself, I then set up to prototype a version of such a book. I try to focus on the ease of reading such a book and on grasping the meaning of new words and phrases in large amounts, more than on the means to review the new words and phrases. Would you be agreeable to discuss this project? Could you please refer me to other material similar to your paper in TeleRed. Thank you. Hi Alexandre,

BOLSHOE SPASIBO for responding with such a thorough comparison between WordChamp and LinqQ. I was pleasantly surprised to find many things on your blog that of great interst to me. In particular, just now I have read your paper for TeleRead about e-books for language learning.

Some time ago I also concluded e-books for language learners, both their format and functionality,could and should be different from the e-books for the native speakers. Unexpectedly for myself, I then set up to prototype a version of such a book. I try to focus on the ease of reading such a book and on grasping the meaning of new words and phrases in large amounts, more than on the means to review the new words and phrases.

Would you be agreeable to discuss this project? Could you please refer me to other material similar to your paper in TeleRed.

Thank you.

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