Computer Interactive Language Learning Supplement And Gaming

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

This is an interim report submitted in part fulfilment of the degree of BSc (Hons.) in the School of School of Science and Technology led by Dr. Peter J. Passmore and with the supervision of Bob Fields.

School of Science and Technology

University of Middlesex

19 December 2013

Project Specification

Construct and build an interactive learning aid and supplement and gaming application that can be used by both children and adults.

Abstract

This document serves as a style guide for final year project reports. It does not tell you how to write your final year reports, or what they should contain. It explains how they should be formatted and typeset. Please refer to your project guidelines document for information about report sizes and contents. NOTE: in your report, you should replace this with an appropriate Abstract for your project report.

Table of Contents

Project Specification 2

Table of Contents 4

1 Introduction 5

2 Background and literature review 6

3 Requirements specification 8

4 Analysis and design 10

5 Implementation and testing 11

5.1 Second Level Headings 12

5.2 A Word on Numbering 13

Program Code 14

6 Table of Contents 14

7 Getting Started 14

Introduction

Owing to the fast growth of technology and the rate of globalisation, most of us have a variety of ways to learn a new language. We are surrounded by technology all the time and being able to access to Internet wherever and whenever we want is a boon to language enthusiasts. With all this technology at our fingertips, one would think that more people would be quite eager to gain some language skills.

However, for many people, learning a new language is complex and the time taken to learn that new language is tedious. Also for many people, their initial experience of another language is growing up being taught in a classroom. There will have been no immersion or no exposure to the culture, and certainly no opportunity to actually speak that language to anybody from the culture that produced that language. This meant that the learning lost any relevance. What were they doing this for?

The trouble is that many people are convinced that the ability to learn new language learning comes down to gene and intelligence. This may be true to a certain extent, but essentially speaking, this ability develops due to circumstance, necessity and pure motivation. People born in countries where multiple languages are spoken daily start to learn them effortlessly from an early age (take places like Scandinavia and India for example). Adults and children do what they feel is normal and what is expected of them: riding horses, playing musical instruments and of course learning multiple languages.

At some stage, even if they don’t immerse themselves in multiple languages but are simply exposed to a second, half of the world’s population live their lives in more than just their first language. It’s widely understood that speaking more than one language can only be a good thing - and not just so that wine and a pizza can be ordered in Italian, French or Spanish. Speaking more than one language is beneficial for the human brain. However do the advantages go further than this? Many people would like to learn a second, and even a third language, but can we discern why we want to do it? Does learning a language really have any long-term value?

I believe many people are becoming aware that many employers want prospective employees to learn new languages and acquire savvy cultural skills in order to benefit their employers in the competitive international markets. There has been unverified (as of yet) evidence that learning a second language enhances brain-power, in the same way that regular exercise builds stronger muscles. The build-up of cerebral muscle could help protect the brain from the effects of ageing. Research at York University in Toronto found that multi-lingual people are far more able to retain their mental abilities as they age than those who speak just one language. Dr Ellen Bialystok, who wrote the study, said: "Bilingualism appears to offer widespread benefits across a range of complex cognitive tasks."

It would seem then that the benefits of a second or third language are evident throughout life; acquiring an extra would language supports academic study, enhances career opportunities, make travelling easier, and sustains a person into old age.

Background and literature review

The Android operating system is fast becoming the world’s fastest emerging as the number one operating system used for mobile deployment of applications and games. Smart-phones carrying the Android platform are now outselling iPhones, and tablets running this operating system are fast gaining on the iPad. In essence, if you want to reach the largest share of mobile phone users, using the Android platform is really the way to go.

However building applications for the Android platform or the iPhone and iPad’s iOS, for that matter, is not a trivial matter. It’s not like building a web page in a few minutes, which can be managed by anyone with a little bit of html knowledge.

Normally, mobile application development requires some knowledge of a few computer languages, like C++ or Java, which a non-technical doesn’t easily pick up unless they have spent a few months learning them.

Obstacles to language learning

Most people have a natural capacity for learning any language and to learn as many as they choose to. (Sir Richard Burton, the famous adventurer and writer in the 19th century stopped at 38). Therefore, what impediments do many people struggle to overcome? What are the various obstacles to acquiring a new language?

I believe I can make an educated guess as to what happens to many people when they attempt to learn unfamiliar language. I’ve come up with a number of the various complications that can manifest themselves.

1. Mental

2. Emotional

3. Time (poor time management)

4. Organizational (poor organisation of personal learning)

5. Motivation

6. Poor mental flexibility

7. Unrealistic expectations

8. Negative self-hypnosis

1. Mental obstacles may involve having illogical thoughts about learning in general and learning for oneself expressly as a fixed truth. These illogical thoughts are called beliefs: they can totally paralyze a student and prevent efficient learning. Because they seem to be reality, many people accept them without thinking too deeply and these beliefs are not easy to shift. They will come out as a claim: I’m not good at studying, I can’t remember anything, I’m stupid, and I am wasting my time. These beliefs are often sustained by powerful emotions.

2. Emotional difficulties means feeling disheartened, experience feelings of pessimism, worry, fear and anger. I’m talking about a disempowered emotional state that many people experience when they attempt to learn a new language. Obviously, frequent emotional distress can also block straightforward learning.

3. Time (poor time management) - exceptionally busy schedules often get in the way, though many learners who run into this problem somehow seemed to find the time to watch TV, play games and check their Facebook account several times a day.

4. Organizational (poor organisation of personal learning) – many people do not have a good plan or good resources. Quite often they will know how not knowing how, where to start or even what to study.

5. Motivation - not really wanting to learn, take pleasure in and love a new language. Sometimes the driving force comes from outside: job requires it, the family of a new spouse, and secondary educational requirements.

6. Lack of mental flexibility - trying to crack a nut with a sledgehammer. An old dog is motivated to learn new tricks if he has a competent and considerate teacher.

7. Unrealistic expectations – this is very true in each direction. There are language programs on sale urging potential buyer to learn Mandarin Chinese in 7 to 10 days or learn German in 3 weeks. These are actual programs I have seen in online bookstores. All of this sets up potential learners for disappointment and embarrassment which will take them possibly years to undo the damage of trying to learn a language the fast and dirty way.

8. Negative self-hypnosis: a person (or someone in their past) have taught themselves and project a negative self-image back at themselves. Inside, they’ll be saying "I should be able learn this". This is often a clash between the belief of an adult: "I’m an intelligent and respected accountant, I should be able to get this right.", and a pervasive and insidious childhood conviction: "I’m stupid and they will find out." The result is total paralysis or progress at a slow unpleasant pace.

Accordingly before a learner gets going, they need to be prepared: mentally and emotionally, on a personal level and they need to have good time management.

Another allegory for learning a new language is going on a journey. A good map, a change of clothes, a detailed plan and a passport are needed. A person doesn’t just walk out of their house and say: looks like a fine day. I think I’ll go to Barcelona today!

There are many commercial businesses that for the most part advertise their products in order to sell them. Unsurprisingly, they often create utterly unrealistic expectations so that you give them £50, £500 or £1000. It is almost always presented as having been based on the latest scientific research. ‘Learn German while jogging. No books or CD’s needed.’ When a person fails to meet that goal by not learning correctly they fault themselves, their intellect, their life, and even their genes. They’re often too mortified to ask for their money back.

In my own experience I’ve found that most techniques can and could work some more efficiently than others and that all teachers are useful unless they are incompetent and ignorant. Before a learner chooses a technique or a style, they should understand how to overcome existing and potential difficulties. They should also know what they want to do and how they’re going to do it. Obstacles could slow a person down or even paralyze them. Lack of knowledge will also slow them down and make them misuse their time and money.

Requirements specification

Writing my first Android application and seeing it up and running on my phone will be only half the fun when it comes to Android. I’ve done some extensive research and found it’s relatively simple to have an application up and live in the Android Market in a matter of hours, ready to be downloaded by Android users almost immediately.

I will need to go to http://market.android.com/publish and using a Google Account, register as a developer in the Android Market. The registration process is immediate but requires a one-off registration fee of $25.

Setting Up My Development Environment

As I’m not a natural Java developer, I’m not certain I’ll have a very easy transition to the Android development world. I’ve found that most applications are written in Java though I could switch to use C, it’s usual for development to be completed inside the Eclipse IDE due to the extensive support provided by Google although everything might be done outside the IDE using the command line. Android development is supported on the three main operating systems: Windows (from XP, Vista, and 7 onwards), the Mac OS X platform, and the Linux platform.

In order to set up my development environment, I’ll need to download and install the following:

A Java Development Kit (JDK 5 or JDK 6) – the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) alone is not enough. I’ll download the specific JDK for my system from http://java.sun.com/javase/downloads/index.jsp.

Eclipse3.5 (Galileo), which I’ll download from http://www.eclipse.org/downloads/. "Classic" is the recommended version.

Android SDK Tools available from http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html. Take note where this is installed or unzipped for the next step.

Android Developer Tools (ADT) - Eclipse Plugin, which I’ll need to install from inside Eclipse:

From the Help menu, click on Install New Software, and then select Add.

In the dialog box, enter ADT Plugin for the Name and https://dl-ssl.google.com/android/eclipse/ in Location; then press OK.

Select Developer Tools and click Next, and Next again when presented with the items to be installed.

Read and accept the license terms, and click Finish.

When the installation is complete, I’ll restart Eclipse.

Analysis and design

Every platform tool utilizes different jargon to explain the components of its applications. The three main classes on the Android platform are Context, Activity and Intent. Although there are other advanced components that developers are able to employ, these three main components make up the building blocks for every Android application. I’ll take a brief look on assessing how Android applications are built. An Android application is essentially an assortment of tasks, each of which is classified an activity. Each activity inside an application has a single purpose and a Graphical User Interface. To comprehend this more deeply, I’m going to make up a hypothetical game application called Frenchable.

Designing the application features

The design of the Frenchable game is simple. There are five screens:

Splash - This screen is the start-up screen, with the logo and version number of the game. It may also feature audio.

Menu - On this screen, a user may select a number of options, including playing the game, viewing their game score, and accessing the help menu.

Play - This screen is where a user can play the game.

Score tally- This screen shows the highest scores for the game (it may also include scores from other players), giving players an incentive to beat that score.

Help - This screen gives instructions on how to play the game, including which controls to use, goals, game technique, tips to enhance the user’s experience, and hints.

This is the typical design of pretty much any mobile application or game on most platforms. Of course, I’m free to implement any kind of user interface I want. There are no actual graphical user interface requirements on the Android platform, except that the application should be stable, responsive and not cause an Android phone to crash. The best designed and most popular applications naturally influence the user’s experience with a graphical user interface. I feel it will be best to improve upon important features when required, rather than reinvent them, as I don't want to force a user to exert precious time and effort to learn my application in order to use it correctly.

Implementation and testing

By the end of this project, I’ll be ready to submit an Android app to the Market.

I’ll eventually make this application public which means I’ll have to do lot of extensive testing, packaging it appropriately, and making it available to other users of Android-powered mobile devices.

As I plan to publish my application for installation on Android-powered devices, there are a number of steps I’ll need to carry out, to get my application ready. Below are a number of steps that highlight the significant checkpoints for preparing my application for a successful release and of course a successful project.

Before I can consider my application ready for general release:

I’ll test my application extensively on an actual device. I have an Android phone.

I’ll think about adding an End User License Agreement in my application.

I’ll specify an icon and label in the application's patent.

I’ll turn off logging and debugging and clean up any data/files.

Before I do the final compile of my application:

I’ll version my application.

I’ll obtain a suitable cryptographic key.

I’ll register for a Maps API Key, if my application uses MapView elements.

I’ll then compile my application.

After compiling my application:

I’ll sign my application.

I’ll test my compiled application.

Second Level Headings

Second and third level headings have also been defined and can be accessed as H2 and H3 styles. For example, the heading in this subsection is a second-level heading.

Third Level Headings

The heading for this subsection is a third level heading. In general, it is unlikely that fourth of fifth level headings will be required in your final report. Indeed it is more likely that if you do find yourself needing them, then your document structure is probably not ideal. So, try to stick to three levels of heading provided.

A Word on Numbering

You will notice that the main section headings in this document are all numbered in a hierarchical fashion. You don’t have to worry about the numbering. It is all automatic as it has been built into the heading styles. Each time you create a new heading by selecting the appropriate style, the correct number will be assigned.

This form of automatic numbering is great when it works well, and while you are not responsible for the numbering itself, you are responsible for the correct use of heading styles. If you are not careful – for instance by setting a blank line to be a heading style – you will find headings to be numbered incorrectly. This is because the heading numbering works by counting the number of previous heading assignments (of a particular type – heading 1, 2 or 3) that occur up to a given point in the document.

Program Code

A Code style has been prepared for formatting short excerpts of source code. It is a simple indented, single-spaced style using a fixed font (Courier New) to produce code that appears like the following:

static public void main(String[] args) {

try {

UIManager.setLookAndFeel(UIManager.getSystemLookAndFeelClassName());

}

catch(Exception e) {

e.printStackTrace();

}

new WelcomeApp();

}

Table of Contents

A table of contents (TOC) page has also been included in this report template and can be created using the TOC generator in Word. Ordinarily this is accessed via Index and Tables option in the in the Insert menu. However, to avoid the need to set certain TOC features, the best way to insert a new table of contents is to use the TOC macro defined in this document. This macro can be run by clicking on the TOC button on the report style toolbar to position a new table of contents at the current cursor position – so care needs to be take to properly position the cursor after he "table of contents" heading on page 3 of your report. Notice that you can update your existing table of contents by simply right clicking it and selecting the update field option.

A word of warning on this feature – the table of contents is automatically generated by compiling a table of all of the level 1, 2 and 3 headings in your document. This means that every line with one of these styles will appear in the table. If you use these styles for non-headings (of course you should not do this) then these non-headings will also appear in the table.

Getting Started

The simplest way to get started with your report is to save a copy of this document. Delete sections 1 to 8 and start adding your own sections using the styles provided.

Finally, you may have noticed some unusual entries on the cover page of this document. For example, the title and author sections are highlighted. These are field values that are used in various places throughout the document, such as the header and footer. Do not edit these highlighted sections of text directly. Instead to set up the document with your details you need to enter the title, author, supervisor, moderator and degree information by updating these fields. The simplest way of doing this is to select the entire document using "Ctrl A" (or through the Edit menu) and then press F9. You will be presented with a series of prompts to enter the appropriate information. Once you have updated the field information with your details this document is ready to go. You can re-enter or change these field values at any time by the same procedure.