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Interactive Participatory Dramas for Language Learning

Stanford University phil{at}csli.stanford.edu

Interactive participatory dramas are software applications that engage the users by involving them as a character in a story. Although these dramas have been part of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) for more than a decade, they have not become a widespread genre. However, recent advances in video, graphics, and speech recognition, as well as the spread of interactive participatory dramas in other areas of education and training, make the proliferation of such applications in CALL considerably more likely. As there is presently little in the way of research or agreed-on standards of practice to inform the process of creating participatory dramas, this article offers some preliminary guidelines for software developers and evaluators engaged in their design. Among other points, it argues for the use of engaging characters and plots, the use of speech recognition for verbal interaction, the presentation of choice points with consequences for the learners, and the abandonment of the common use of full text prompts that are simply read out loud. It concludes by observing that most of these language learning considerations are equally relevant for simulations and role plays.

Key Words: CALL • conversation simulation • interactive drama • participatory drama • psycholinguistic considerations • psycholinguistic issues • response type • role play • speech recognition • story line

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