Patent GB-1326954-A (GB)
Title: Apparatus for teaching foreign langueages
IPC: G09B5/06
Filed: 1970-10-13
Abstract: 1326954 Teaching machines NAUCHNOISSLEDOVATELSKY INSTITUT OBSCHEI I PEDAGOGICHESKOI PSIKHOLOGII AKADEMI PEDAGOGICHESKIKH NAUK SSSR 13 Oct 1970 48544/70 Heading G5G A system for teaching foreign languages comprises a master multi-channel tape recorder with an endless tape loop whereon are recorded phrases and control signals and student terminals connected to the tape recorder and provided with switches whereby different combinations of phrases from said multiple channels may be selected, said terminals also having pause inserting means to suppress various ones of the phrases. As described, an 11 channel tape recorder 1 (Fig. 1) is connected to a plurality of student terminals 3: track 1 which contains control signals for tracks 2-4 being connected by way of a register 7 and decoder 6, tracks 2-4 which contain phrases in the foregien language being connected by channels 4, track 5 which contains control signals for tracks 6-8 being connected by way of a register 9 and decoder 8, tracks 6-8 which contain equivalent phrases to tracks 2-4 but spoken either with a slight delay or in the mother language or by a person of opposite sex being connected by channels 5 and tracks 9-11 which contain control signals corresponding to the rhythm of the speech in tracks 2-4 being connected by way of amplifier 10 for controlling indicator lamps at the terminals 3. Provision is also made by way of access control circuit 12 for students to record and playback their own voices using an auxiliary recorder 2, there being fewer auxiliary tracks than terminals. Each terminal 3 (Fig. 7, not shown) is provided with a number (e.g. five) of phrase selector switches (Fig. 3, not shown) each one controlling from which track a phrase is reproduced for a particular control signal, the arrangement being such that each student can independently select different combinations of phrases from the tracks 2-4 or 6-8. Thus, in Fig. 3 (not shown), a multi-position switch 23 controls from which communication line 4 corresponding to tracks 2-4 a phrase is selected when interrupter contacts 52 are closed corresponding to the decoding by decoder 6 of a first control code in track 1. Similarly switch 24 and interruptor contacts 53 correspond to the second control code. And so on for the other control codes. The switches 23, 24 &c. respectively are mechanically linked (coaxial wafer switches) as indicated by dashed lines to switches 56, 57 etc. for selecting phrases from tracks 6-8 and to switches 27, 28 &c. for tracks 9-11. Pause inserting switches 48 and 49 which can suppress the transmission of control codes from the decoders 6, 8 to the interrupter contacts 52, 53 ... 56, 57 ... may be varied to suppress those phrases associated with particular control codes so as to simplify the selected message. At the same time as the selected message is being heard by the student via the ear phones, a visual presentation of the message is made by way of slides (Figs. 10 and 12, not shown) mounted on discs mechanically connected to the phrase selector switches. The pause inserting switch is also coupled to a blind (Fig. 11, not shown) for blanking out those parts of the visual message which have been suppressed. A light switch for the visual presentation is provided.  The number of channels may be increased to say 20 and the number of control codes to 8. The slides and tape are replaceable.