Education and demonstration – Language – Foreign
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-13
2002-06-25
Rovnak, John Edmund (Department: 3713)
Education and demonstration
Language
Foreign
Reexamination Certificate
active
06409510
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not Applicable
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH
Not Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to methods for learning a foreign language, and more particularly to a method for using sheet imprinted with a select list of key words in the foreign language to carry out a basic conversation with a person who speaks the foreign language and thereby learning the foreign language.
2. Description of Related Art
The following art defines the present state of this field:
Groiss, U.S. Pat. No. 5,735,693, teaches a method for learning a foreign language by first memorizing conjugations of representative verbs. The invention includes a device for implementing the method, the device facilitating the memorization process by using the human hearing, viewing and feeling senses.
Lien et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,245,405, teaches a machine for teaching students to read. The machine displays the roots of a word and teaches the student to identify particular vowels and consonants, long and short vowel sounds, and soft and hard consonant sounds. The machine also determines the number of syllables in a word, identifies misspelled words, supplies missing letters, and identifies the grammatical parts of speech of the word.
Cohen, U.S. Pat. No. 5,893,720, teaches a computer toy for infants that promotes normal speech development by facilitating the infant's experimentation with babbles and other elementary sounds. The machine helps the child learn correct pronunciation by recording the infant's vocalizations and playing them back to the child.
Baskerville, U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,625, teaches an electronic flash card apparatus that is used to help students memorize words in a foreign language. The apparatus first flashes a word in a foreign language, then it flashes the correct translation in English.
Buti, U.S. Pat. No. 5,803,742, teaches a language frame including a game board that utilizes blocks having printed words in a foreign language and pictorial representations printed upon their faces.
West et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,649,826, teaches a method and device for teaching a given language to one or more users in an entertaining manner utilizing a media series for teaching a given language to one or more users, particularly young children.
Shea, U.S. Pat. No. 5,492,473, teaches a language instruction and fact recognition apparatus and method for teaching as well as self instruction of a language, primary or secondary, increasing vocabulary of a language and providing a fact recognition basis with self learning and self checking techniques.
Mitsuya, U.S. Pat. No. 4,143,473, teaches a memorization aid device convenient to memorize foreign words. The device has an endless tape passing around two rolls and intermittently rotated by pressing a push-button. The tape bears information to be memorized, the information being visible through a pair of windows formed in a casing of the device.
Tomatis, U.S. Pat. No. 4,615,680, teaches an apparatus for assisting the practice of the mother tongue or a foreign language, with a view to total assimilation thereof The apparatus uses a standard signal generator to compare a recording of a correct pronunciation of a word and a user's pronunciation of the word. If the two signals are not within a certain tolerance of each other, the user must continue to repeat the word until the correct pronunciation is achieved.
The prior art teaches various devices to facilitate memorization of a vocabulary in a foreign language; and the prior art also teaches many methods for learning correct conjugations, sentence structure, and grammar. However, the prior art does not teach a far simpler method of ignoring correct conjugations, sentence structure, and grammar, and moving immediately into a rudimentary form of communication that allows the user to learn through use of the language. The prior art also does not teach the use of a sheet imprinted with a select list of key words in the foreign language, the sheet being useful for facilitating the rudimentary conversation between the user and a person fluent in the foreign language. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages as described in the following summary.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention teaches certain benefits in construction and use which give rise to the objectives described below.
The present invention provides a method for learning a foreign language through conversations with a person fluent in the foreign language, the conversations being facilitated with a basic language kit. The basic language kit includes a sheet imprinted with a select list of key words in the foreign language, a workbook including a definition of each of the key words, and a recording of a correct pronunciation of each of the key words. Once the user has memorized the definition and the pronunciation of each of the key words, the sheet is used to facilitate a conversation between the user and a person fluent in the foreign language. Although the conversation is rudimentary at first, the user gains a working knowledge of the foreign language and learns proper sentence structure, grammar, and conjugation through repeated conversations.
A primary objective of the present invention is to provide a method for learning a foreign language having advantages not taught by the prior art.
Another objective is to provide a sheet imprinted with a select list of key words in the foreign language, the sheet being useful for facilitating a form of “caveman speak” between a user and a person fluent in the foreign language.
A further objective is to provide a recording of a correct pronunciation of each of the key words, thereby enabling a user with limited experience to begin conversing with the person fluent in the foreign language.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4112595 (1978-09-01), Fernandez et al.
patent: 4143473 (1979-03-01), Mitsuya
patent: 4615680 (1986-10-01), Tomatis
patent: 5492473 (1996-02-01), Shea
patent: 5649826 (1997-07-01), West et al.
patent: 5735693 (1998-04-01), Groiss
patent: 5803742 (1998-09-01), Buti
patent: 5865625 (1999-02-01), Baskerville
patent: 5893720 (1999-04-01), Cohen
Karich Eric
Rovnak John Edmund
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