Patent Publication Number: US-2007099159-A1

Title: Foreign language instructional aid

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The invention pertains to the field of foreign language instructional aids.  
      2. Description of Related Art  
      Foreign language instruction has long been a part of education in the United States and in many other parts of the world. In some cases, instruction may begin in the first year of schooling and continue on through the end of secondary school and into university studies. In other cases, especially in the United States, foreign language instruction may commence in the sixth, seventh, or eighth grades, just before high school. The Romance languages are commonly taught, particularly Spanish and French, although some schools also teach other languages.  
      One of the more difficult skills for students to master is that of verb conjugation, the process of applying an ending to a verb that matches the subject or subject pronoun of the sentence. Most Romance languages have sets of verbs that follow defined rules for conjugation, as well as irregular verbs that do not, and it becomes difficult for many students to remember and correctly apply the applicable grammatical rules for each verb.  
      Various instructional aids are available in the classroom, ranging from traditional textbooks to flashcards and computer-aided language instruction tools. However, foreign language instructors continue to search for instructional aids that are clear, simple, relatively inexpensive, and accessible to students of different ages and ability levels.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      One aspect of the invention relates to a foreign language verb conjugation kit. The foreign language verb conjugation kit comprises one or more subject pieces, one or more verb stem pieces, one or more verb ending pieces, and an attachment surface. The subject pieces have an adhesive surface and an informational surface on which a subject is indicated. The subject pieces also have a uniform identifying characteristic of a first type. The verb stem pieces have an adhesive surface and an informational surface on which a verb stem is indicated. The verb stem pieces also have a uniform identifying characteristic of a second type. The verb ending pieces have an adhesive surface and an informational surface on which a verb ending is indicated. The verb ending pieces also have a uniform identifying characteristic of a third type. The attachment surface is adapted to allow the adhesive surfaces of the subject pieces, the verb stem pieces, and the verb ending pieces to releasably adhere. The attachment surface has sufficient size to accommodate at least one subject piece, at least one verb stem piece, and at least one verb ending piece.  
      Another aspect of the invention relates to a foreign language instructional method. The method comprises teaching proper verb conjugation in a foreign language by causing or allowing one or more students to assemble subject pieces, verb stem pieces, and verb ending pieces into phrases with correct verb conjugations. The subject pieces have an adhesive surface and an informational. surface on which a subject is indicated. The subject pieces also have a uniform identifying characteristic of a first type. The verb stem pieces have an adhesive surface and an informational surface on which a verb stem is indicated. The verb stem pieces also have a uniform identifying characteristic of a second type. The verb ending pieces have an adhesive surface and an informational surface on which a verb ending is indicated. The verb ending pieces also have a uniform identifying characteristic of a third type.  
      Yet another aspect of the invention relates to a foreign language instructional method. The method comprises prompting one or more students with a correct verb conjugation or a portion of a correct verb conjugation and allowing the one or more students to assemble the correct verb conjugation or another correct verb conjugation using individual verb conjugation kits. The individual verb conjugation kits comprise sets of subject pieces, verb stem pieces, and verb ending pieces. The subject pieces also have a uniform identifying characteristic of a first type. The verb stem pieces have an adhesive surface and an informational surface on which a verb stem is indicated. The verb stem pieces also have a uniform identifying characteristic of a second type. The verb ending pieces have an adhesive surface and an informational surface on which a verb ending is indicated. The verb ending pieces also have a uniform identifying characteristic of a third type.  
      These and other aspects, features, and advantages of the invention will become clear from the description that follows. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      The invention will be described with respect to the following drawing figures, in which like numerals represent like elements throughout the views, and in which:  
       FIG. 1  is a top plan view of an instructional aid according to one embodiment of the invention;  
       FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of one of the pieces of the instructional aid of  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a container that may be used with the instructional aid of  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of another embodiment of an instructional aid suitable for a classroom setting; and  
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of another embodiment of an instructional aid using hook and loop fastener for attachment. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       FIG. 1  is a top plan view of an instructional aid, generally indicated at  100 , according to one embodiment of the invention. In the illustrated embodiment, the instructional aid is a foreign language verb conjugation kit.  
      The foreign language verb conjugation kit  100  illustrated in the figures and described below may be adapted for any of the Romance languages, and also for any other language amenable to verb conjugation. The group of Romance languages is generally considered to include Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, Galician, French, Haitian, Occitan, Romansh, Italian, Sardinian, the Northern Italian dialects, and Romanian, of which at least Spanish, French, and Italian are widely taught as foreign languages. Other languages amenable to use with the foreign language verb conjugation kit  100  include Latin. However, in the description that follows, certain examples will be given of its use as a Spanish language verb conjugation kit.  
      As shown in  FIG. 1 , the verb conjugation kit  100  includes an attachment surface  102  and a plurality of pieces. The pieces include one or more subject pieces  104 , one or more verb stem pieces  106 , and one or more verb ending pieces  108 . The pieces  104 ,  106 ,  108  adhere and are releasably attached to the attachment surface  102 . In the illustrated embodiment, the pieces  104 ,  106 ,  108  are all relatively thin and rectangular in shape, although in other embodiments, any shape may be used.  
      The subject pieces  104  comprise an outwardly-facing informational surface  110  that includes a printed subject or subject pronoun. The verb stem pieces  106  comprise an outwardly-facing informational surface  112  that includes a printed verb stem without an ending. The verb ending pieces  108  comprise an outwardly-facing informational surface  114  that includes a printed verb ending.  
      The subject pieces  104 , verb stem pieces  106 , and verb ending pieces  108  have respective uniform identifying characteristics that help to identify them. In the illustrated embodiment, the informational surfaces  110  of the subject pieces  104  are colored red, the informational surfaces  112  of the verb stem pieces  106  are colored yellow, and the informational surfaces  114  of the verb ending pieces  108  are colored blue. Therefore, subject pieces  104  can easily be distinguished from verb stem pieces  106 , and so forth. In other embodiments, the uniform identifying characteristics of the various sets of pieces  104 ,  106 ,  108  could be different. For example, each set of pieces  104 ,  106 ,  108  could have a different shape, so that verb stems and verb endings could be distinguishable on the basis of shape.  
      With the arrangement of the pieces  104 ,  106 ,  108  and the attachment surface  102 , a user can manipulate the pieces  104 ,  106 ,  108  to properly conjugate verbs. For example, as shown in  FIG. 1 , a user can assemble the pieces  104 ,  106 ,  108  on the attachment surface  102  proximate to one another so as to create the phrase “Yo como,” which represents the correct conjugation of the Spanish verb “comer” for the subject pronoun “Yo,” the phrase itself meaning “I eat.” The attachment surface  102  is sized to accommodate at least one subject piece  104 , at least one verb stem piece  106 , and at least one verb ending piece  108 , although the attachment surface  102  typically is of sufficient size to accommodate several pieces  104 ,  106 ,  108  at once.  
       FIG. 2  is a sectional view of one of the subject pieces  104 , illustrating its construction. Although a subject piece  104  is illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the construction of the verb stem and verb ending pieces  106 ,  108  is the same as that of the subject pieces  104 . As shown, the pieces  104 ,  106 ,  108  comprise a top layer  116 , the upper surface of which is the informational surface  110 , and a bottom adhesive layer  118  that enables the pieces  104 ,  106 ,  108  to adhere to the attachment surface  102 .  
      As used here, the term “adhesive layer” is used in the broad sense to refer to any mechanism that allows the piece  104 ,  106 ,  108  to adhere to the attachment surface  102 . In the embodiment, the adhesive layer  118  is a thin, flexible magnetic layer and the attachment surface  102  is comprised of a complementary magnetic material. In other embodiments, the adhesive layer  118  may be, for example, a layer of hook-and-loop fastener, with the attachment surface  102  having a complementary layer of hook-and-loop fastener. In yet other embodiments, the adhesive layer  118  may be a layer of reusable glue-adhesive.  
      The top layer  116  may be constructed in a number of ways. For example, the top layer  116  may be a layer screen printed over the top of the adhesive layer  118 . The top layer  116  may also be a piece of paper adhered or fastened to the adhesive layer  118 , or, in some embodiments, a piece of plastic fused to the adhesive layer  118 .  
       FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate a relatively general embodiment of the foreign language verb conjugation kit. The attachment surface  102  may be of any size or overall shape conducive to instructional purposes. In some embodiments, the attachment surface  102  may be a portion or the entirety of a classroom blackboard or whiteboard and the pieces  104 ,  106 ,  108  may be sized so as to be seen from a distance from the blackboard or whiteboard attachment surface  102 . In other embodiments, the attachment surface  102  may be a board or sheet sized for individual student use.  
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a container  150  that is adapted to hold the pieces  104 ,  106 ,  108 . The container  150  is generally of a clamshell-type construction, and the attachment surface  102 , in the illustrated embodiment, a metal or metal-laminated plate, comprises an outer surface of the container  150 . Within the container  150  is a compartment  152  in which a number of pieces  104 ,  106 ,  108  can be stored. Depending on the embodiment, multiple surfaces of the container  150  may serve as attachment surfaces  102 . In the illustrated embodiment, the container  150  also includes internal dividers  154  that separate subject pieces  104  from verb stem pieces  106  and verb ending pieces  108  for storage purposes, in order to facilitate easy and organized access to the pieces  104 ,  106 ,  108 . Although not shown in the figure, the container  150  could include instructions to a user printed on an interior surface.  
      In other embodiments, the container may be of any material. For example, the container may be made of paper or cardboard affixed with a magnetic material that would serve as an attachment surface  102 .  
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of another embodiment of the invention suitable for classroom use. In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 4 , the foreign language verb conjugation kit  100  can be used simultaneously by students and instructor. As shown in  FIG. 4 , a large version of the foreign language verb conjugation kit  200  is sized for a blackboard, whiteboard, or other classroom-sized display. The attachment surface  102  of the large conjugation kit  200  may be a portion of a blackboard or whiteboard, a surface with hook-and-loop fastener, or another suitable surface. If not embodied in a blackboard or whiteboard, the attachment surface  102  of the large conjugation kit  200  may be a board suitable for set-up on an easel or other classroom display. The pieces  104 ,  106 ,  108  of the large conjugation kit  200  are sized so as to be seen by the entire classroom, and have an adhesive layer  118  appropriate for the attachment surface  102  to which they are to adhere. If the attachment surface  102  is, for example, a whiteboard with a ferromagnetic metallic substrate, the adhesive layer  118  of the pieces  104 ,  106 ,  108  may be magnetic, as illustrated in  FIG. 2 . (Note that although the pieces  104 ,  106 ,  108  of the large verb conjugation kit  200  may be larger and have slightly different features than their smaller counterparts in the verb conjugation kit  100 , for the sake of simplicity, they are given the same reference numerals in this description.)  
      In addition to the large verb conjugation kit  200 , a number of individual student verb conjugation kits  100  are provided, so that students may follow exercises that are demonstrated on the large verb conjugation kit  200  and may perform their own exercises on their own verb conjugation kits  100  at the direction of the instructor. Specifically,  FIG. 4  shows a plurality of containers  150  with subject, verb, and verb ending pieces  104 ,  106 ,  108 .  
      Depending on the embodiment and the instructional methods, there are many ways in which the verb conjugation kits  100 ,  200  may be used. For example, an instructor may assemble certain phrases using the large verb conjugation kit  200  and ask the students to follow along using their own verb conjugation kits  100 ; the instructor may assemble a phrase using the large verb conjugation kit  200  and ask students to conjugate the verb with other subject pronouns using either the large verb conjugation kit  200  or their own verb conjugation kits  100 ; or the instructor may use a partial conjugation or partial phrase (e.g., “Yo com”) as a prompt, allowing the students to select the pieces  104 ,  106 ,  108  that would properly complete the phrase. Other methods of using the verb conjugation kits  100 ,  200  are also possible, depending on the objectives of the instructor.  
      As was described above, a verb conjugation kit in some embodiments of the invention may include hook and loop fastener.  FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a verb conjugation kit  300  that uses hook and loop fastener. The attachment surface  302  of the verb conjugation kit  300  includes hooks. A piece, indicated generically at  304 , includes an adhesive layer  318  with loops sized to engage the hooks of the attachment surface  302 , as well as a top layer  316  and an informational layer  310 .  
      The particular vocabulary included in foreign language verb conjugation kits  100 ,  200 ,  300  may include any subjects, verb stems, and verb endings that are deemed to be appropriate in the instructional process. Multiple pieces  104 ,  106 ,  108  with the same subject, verb stem, or verb ending may be included in each kit  100 , allowing the user to simultaneously conjugate the same verb several different ways or different verbs the same way. If used instructionally in the classroom, distinct vocabulary sets of subject pieces  104 , verb stem pieces  106 , and verb ending pieces  108  may be stored together and given to students at appropriate times. For example, with respect to Spanish language instruction, different vocabulary sets for “-er,” “-ir,” and “-ar” verbs may be created. As an example, some of the subjects, verb stems, and verb endings that may be included are listed below in Tables 1-3.  
               TABLE 1                          Spanish-language “-er” verb conjugation set                                 Subjects   Verb Stems   Verb Endings                       El, Ella,   aprend, beb, com,   e, eis, en,           Ellas, Ellos,   comprend, corr, cos, ere,   emos, es, o           Nosotras,   deb, escond, le, met, ofend,           Nosotros, Tu,   promet, respond, romp, sab,           Ustedes,   sorprend, suced, tem, tos,           Vosotras,   ve, vend           Vosotros, Yo                      
 
     
       
         
           
               
             
               
                 TABLE 2 
               
             
            
               
                   
               
               
                   
               
               
                 Spanish-language “-ir” verb conjugation set 
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
            
               
                 Subjects 
                 Verb Stems 
                 Verb Endings 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 El, Ella, 
                 abr, admit, aplaud, asist, 
                 e, en, es, 
               
               
                 Ellas, Nosotros, 
                 bat, combat, consum, cubr, 
                 imos, is, o 
               
               
                 Tu, Ustedes, 
                 cumpl, decid, despid, divid, 
               
               
                 Vosotras, 
                 escrib, grun, insist, prohib, 
               
               
                 Vosotros 
                 recib, sacud, sal, sobreviv, 
               
               
                   
                 sub, sufr, viv 
               
               
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
     
       
         
           
               
             
               
                 TABLE 3 
               
             
            
               
                   
               
               
                   
               
               
                 Spanish-language “-ar” verb conjugation set 
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
            
               
                 Subjects 
                 Verb Stems 
                 Verb Endings 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 El, Ella, 
                 ayud, acept, arregi, bail, 
                 a, ais, amos, 
               
               
                 Ellas, Ellos, 
                 busc, camin, cant, celebr, 
                 an, as, en, o 
               
               
                 Nosotras, 
                 cocin, compr, dibuj, escuch, 
               
               
                 Nosotros, Tu, 
                 estudi, habl, limpi, llam, 
               
               
                 Ustedes, 
                 lleg, llev, mir, necesit, pas, 
               
               
                 Vosotras, 
                 practic, pregunt, trabaj, torn, 
               
               
                 Vosotros Yo 
                 viaj 
               
               
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
      Tables 1-3 include sets of pieces suitable for conjugation in the present tense. Sets for other verb tenses may also be created. Additionally, those of skill in the art will note that Tables 1-3 present relatively basic vocabularies. However, foreign language verb conjugation kits  100 ,  200 ,  300  according to embodiments of the invention may be used with any subjects, any verb stems, and any verb endings. For more proficient students, or those beyond the introductory levels, more difficult vocabularies may be used.  
      While the invention has been described with respect to certain exemplary embodiments, the words that have been used are intended to be illuminating, rather than limiting. Modifications and changes may be made within the scope of the invention, which is defined by the appended claims.