Demo hour : I-Eng: A Toy for Second-Language Learning

Abstract

I-Eng is an interactive toy set that aims to teach new languages to young children between the ages of three and five. The toy consists of a talking plush doll that interacts with tagged objects. The doll speaks sentences related to nearby objects and, depending on the context, can ask the child for other related objects. This allows children to practice both active and passive vocabulary. Through interaction with these tangible objects, an unscripted narrative unfolds. Children are thus naturally exposed to the foreign language and can have a playful “learning by doing” experience.