Teaching Portuguese as a second language: a CALL approach

Year:

2011

Phase:

Finished

Authors:

Bruno Miguel Miranda de Almeida

Advisors:

Abstract

Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) systems aim to teach a language providing technology and motivation to the user. They allow us to implement pedagogical content, motivational techniques and corrective feedback. On this basis, we present Medieval Adventure, which is a CALL system that aims to teach Portuguese's basic levels to adults. Medieval Adventure teaches a second language mainly through pragmatic. The teachers may maintain their teaching methods, once we allow them to develop new content, namely tasks, conversations, interactions and scenarios. We allow teachers to take advantage of pedagogy, motivation techniques and corrective feedback. The user learns Portuguese performing the tasks, which involve exploring Medieval Adventure's world, namely interacting with characters and objects. Medieval Adventure has the adequate expressiveness for pedagogical content development, according to teachers, and it was well accepted by the users, as we concluded on the user tests.