Language phoneme practice engine

Abstract

Disclosed herein, in certain embodiments, are computer-based language phoneme practice systems, products, programs, and methods comprising a digital processing device and a computer program that creates a language phoneme practice engine, wherein said engine comprises: a taxonomy of phonemes of a target language; a software module for providing an interface for practicing each said phoneme in said taxonomy, wherein said interface allows a learner to optionally access a visual representation and an auditory representation of each said phoneme in said taxonomy; and a software module for providing an interface for practicing each said phoneme in the context of the beginning, middle, and end of words of said target language, wherein said interface allows a learner to optionally access a visual and an auditory representation of each said word and each said phoneme in each said word.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-based language phoneme practice system comprising:
 (a) a digital processing device that is optionally connected to a computer network, wherein said processing device comprises an operating system configured to perform executable instructions; and   (b) a computer program, provided to said digital processing device, including executable instructions that create a language phoneme practice engine, wherein said engine comprises:
 i. a taxonomy of phonemes of a target language; 
 ii. a software module for providing an interface for practicing each said phoneme in said taxonomy, wherein said interface allows a learner to optionally access a visual representation and an auditory representation of each said phoneme in said taxonomy; and 
 iii. a software module for providing an interface for practicing each said phoneme in the context of the beginning, middle, and end of words of said target language, wherein said interface allows a learner to optionally access a visual and an auditory representation of each said word and each said phoneme in each said word. 
   
     
     
         2 . The phoneme practice system of  claim 1 , wherein said taxonomy of phonemes includes phonemes represented by a single letter and phonemes represented by one or more combinations of letters. 
     
     
         3 . The phoneme practice system of  claim 1 , wherein said taxonomy of phonemes includes phonemes represented by an image. 
     
     
         4 . The phoneme practice system of  claim 1 , wherein said taxonomy is comprehensive and comprises all sounds in said target language. 
     
     
         5 . The phoneme practice system of  claim 1 , wherein said module for providing an interface for practicing each said phoneme in the context of the beginning, middle, and end of words identifies a selected phoneme in each word. 
     
     
         6 . The phoneme practice system of  claim 1 , wherein said visual representation of each said word comprises a photographic image or an illustration. 
     
     
         7 . The phoneme practice system of  claim 1 , further comprising a software module for recording said learner's pronunciation of said phonemes and said words and comparing it to one or more model pronunciations of said phonemes and said words. 
     
     
         8 . The phoneme practice system of  claim 7 , wherein said software module for recording said learner's pronunciation and comparing it to one or more model pronunciations is configured to provide visual feedback in the form of waveform analysis or a pronunciation score. 
     
     
         9 . The phoneme practice system of  claim 1 , further comprising a software module for providing translation of audio voiceover, text, or voiceover and text from said target language to a specified language, wherein said translation is both written and voiced. 
     
     
         10 . The phoneme practice system of  claim 9 , wherein said software module for providing translation is configurable to optionally translate voiceover, text, or voiceover and text associated with one or more of: all content, learning content, instructions, navigation, and no content. 
     
     
         11 . The phoneme practice system of  claim 9 , wherein said software module for providing translation of voiceover, text, or voiceover and text maintains a list of recent voiceover, text, or voiceover and text, wherein said list provides access to both written and voiced translation of each said recent voiceover and/or text. 
     
     
         12 . The phoneme practice system of  claim 9 , wherein said software module for providing translation of voiceover, text, or voiceover and text is regulated by a mentor, wherein said mentor determines the types of voiceover, text, or voiceover and text translated. 
     
     
         13 . The phoneme practice system of  claim 9 , wherein said software module for providing translation of voiceover, text, or voiceover and text is regulated by a learner, wherein said learner determines the types of voiceover, text, or voiceover and text translated. 
     
     
         14 . The phoneme practice system of  claim 1 , wherein said phoneme practice system is a component of a larger language immersion teaching system. 
     
     
         15 . The phoneme practice system of  claim 14 , wherein said language immersion teaching system comprises a plurality of learning activities organized according to an instructional plan, wherein said instructional plan comprises a progression of educational objectives including teaching phoneme sounds, phoneme sounds in the context of the beginning, middle, and end of words, word families, vocabulary in the context of environments or themes, sentence structures, and common conversational patterns. 
     
     
         16 . The phoneme practice system of  claim 1 , wherein said target language is one or more of: English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, French, Dutch, Polish, German, Russian, Ukrainian, Mandarin, Wu, Cantonese, Hindi, Punjabi, Bengali, Marathi, Urdu, Arabic, Turkish, Tamil, Farsi, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Burmese, Malay, Telugu, Javanese, and Tagalog. 
     
     
         17 . The phoneme practice system of  claim 16 , wherein said target language is English. 
     
     
         18 . Computer readable media encoded with a computer program including instructions executable by the operating system of a digital processing device, wherein said instructions create a language phoneme practice engine, wherein said engine comprises:
 i. a taxonomy of phonemes of a target language;   ii. a software module for providing an interface for practicing each said phoneme in said taxonomy, wherein said interface allows a learner to optionally access a visual representation and an auditory representation of each said phoneme in said taxonomy; and   iii. a software module for providing an interface for practicing each said phoneme in the context of the beginning, middle, and end of words of said target language, wherein said interface allows a learner to optionally access a visual and an auditory representation of each said word and each said phoneme in each said word.   
     
     
         19 . A computer-implemented language phoneme practice method comprising the step of:
 (a) providing executable instructions to a digital processing device comprising an operating system configured to perform executable instructions, to create a language phoneme practice engine, wherein said engine comprises:
 i. a taxonomy of phonemes of a target language; 
 ii. a software module for providing an interface for practicing each said phoneme in said taxonomy, wherein said interface allows a learner to optionally access a visual representation and an auditory representation of each said phoneme in said taxonomy; and 
 iii. a software module for providing an interface for practicing each said phoneme in the context of the beginning, middle, and end of words of said target language, wherein said interface allows a learner to optionally access a visual and an auditory representation of each said word and each said phoneme in each said word.