A human-computer dialogue system for Maori language learning

In this paper we describe Te Kaitito, a bilingual human-machine dialogue system which supports conversational interactions in English and in M¯aori, the indigenous language of New Zealand. In particular we consider how Te Kaitito can best be incorporated into Mori second language learning experiences. We begin in Section 2 with a overview of the motivation behind the Te Kaitito system, and its intended role in the continued development of te reo M¯aori as a working language in New Zealand. In Section 3, we briefly survey the existing applications of natural language processing (NLP) in computer-aided language learning (CALL). In Section 4, we outline the architecture of Te Kaitito, and give some examples of interactions with the system. In Section 5, we describe some proposed extensions of the system to deal with language-learning dialogues, and some initial implementations of these ideas.