Zengo Sayu is a direct method of language instruction which conveys meaning directly through readily understood objects and situations rather than relying on English translations. Zengo Sayu uses digitized voice samples for natural speech reproduction. The environment also includes voice and gesture recognition capabilities which greatly expand the useful possibilities for this educational approach. The complete Zengo Sayu system includes voice and gesture recognition technologies and was developted at the Human Interface Technology Laboratory by Howard Rose. Zengo Sayu's four learning modes.
Students establish builds basic vocabulary through experience and listening.
This mode demonstrates the most rudimentary use of the environment as a talking dictionary. Mode Two activities require students to perceive and act in all three dimensions of the virtual environment. Learning is tested and supported by aspects of the environment such as the Query Wand, which allows the student to pose questions about specific object relationships. Mode Four tests students' progress in the context of a construction game. At the simplest level, the student is shown a model which she must recreate while listening to verbal commands.