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{{Infobox software
{{Infobox software
| name = Transparent Language
| name = Transparent Language

Revision as of 08:28, 2 September 2021

Transparent Language, Inc.
Operating systemMicrosoft Windows, Mac OS X, iOS
PlatformMac OS X v10.4.4 or later
Windows XP
Windows Vista
Windows 7
Available inEnglish, Spanish, Arabic, Portuguese
TypeEducational (foreign language instruction)
LicenseProprietary
Websitewww.transparent.com

Transparent Language Inc. is a language learning software company based in Nashua, New Hampshire. Since 1991, Transparent Language has been offering its products to individual consumers. They have expanded over the past decade into services for educational institutions and government agencies, ranging from MIT to the Department of Defense.[1]

Methodology

Transparent Language's products primarily teach vocabulary, since the company holds the position that vocabulary is more fundamental to language learning than grammar.[2] To teach vocabulary through repeated exposure, Transparent Language software tracks learning and employs an algorithm to repeat vocabulary at the appropriate intervals to ensure memorization, a practice known as spaced repetition. A vocabulary item must be repeated several times to be considered learned, and after a specific period of time, these learned items must be refreshed in order to be kept in memory.[3]

Products and services

The program has been a resource for decades, with evaluations in relevant journals from the US, Germany and Turkey.

A Canadian department head for French and Spanish in 1992 found it "an extremely useful addition to the software library of foreign-language teachers," because of the interest of its readings and its ability to translate individual words, a full phrase, or a full sentence, to keep the reader reading.[4]

A US director of instructional technologies in 1998 found it "a very successful program probably because of its multi-layered design." She noted its authentic texts, grammar notes, cultural notes, translations, slide shows and videos.[5]

A US professor of German in 2002 commented on its speech recognition, and graphs comparing each learner's pronunciation with native pronunciation.[6]

A US lecturer in Chinese studies in 2018 found it convenient and "suitable for anyone with minimal computer language.[7]

Pakistani professors of Education and English in 2019 measured its effectiveness on 270 students and found it "heightened student interest and motivation in learning... improved academic performance."[8]

Transparent Language partners with schools, universities, and libraries to offer its language learning products to students and communities. These institutions integrate Transparent Language Online into their classroom instruction or provide access to the program in their resource libraries.[9]

The CL-150 Platform

For the government sector, Transparent Language develops the CL-150 Platform,[10] which is licensed by a number of United States Government organizations, including Defense Language Institute and Special Operations Forces. The CL-150 is a growing suite of applications and content for the acquisition and sustainment of language for specialized government purposes. CL-150 includes Rapid Rote, which is a military version of Before You Know It (BYKI).[11] It uses a web portal to synchronize learning materials and user progress on desktop and handheld devices, which is an advantage for military taking language lessons with them on deployment.[12] Rapid Rote can be used for rapid learning in classrooms, creating flash cards and sentence completions from phrases and sentences chosen by the student.[13]

Transparent Language Online

Transparent Language Online (TLO) is a web-delivered language learning platform that provides access to the full suite of products, including the Byki vocabulary lists, Essentials course, a grammar reference section including grammar videos and written explanations, and cultural resources including language blogs and social communities. TLO is available for individual subscriptions, as well as school and library subscriptions.

Transparent Connect

Since September 2011, Transparent Language has been offering language courses through Transparent Connect. The language courses combine self-guided learning and personal instruction. Transparent Connect is available in 8 languages and in 3 different levels of instruction:

  • Live classroom courses: Weekly courses taught by a live instructor and access to supplemental learning materials and the Byki Mobile app
  • Self-guided courses: Access to learning materials and private coaching
  • Online tutoring: Private coaching tailored to the student's learning goals and proficiency

Essentials

The Essentials course is a language acquisition course designed to help users communicate in a foreign language in everyday life or while traveling. The 30 lesson course is available in 33 languages, and covers vocabulary and phrases relevant to topics such as going shopping, dealing with money, getting help in an emergency, and asking for directions. Essentials courses are available as part of Transparent Language Online or Transparent Connect.

Byki

Before You Know It (known as Byki) was discontinued in 2017.[14] It was available in three platforms:

  • Byki Express: a free download limited to the flashcard-based activities
  • Byki Deluxe: an upgraded version of Express with advanced features including mp3 audio, pronunciation activities, and vocabulary games
  • Byki Mobile: a mobile application version available for Apple and Android devices that includes flashcard activities and mp3 audio

Byki taught over 70 languages, with more than 100 vocabulary lists. These lists covered topics including greetings, colors, directions, locations around town, and weather. There was also a virtual community, List Central, where users created and shared their own vocabulary lists, expanding the vocabulary database.

7000 Languages Project

Transparent Language originally launched the Heritage and Endangered Language Program (HELP) to give back to the language community.

Through this program, Transparent Language offers free support to organizations to create software programs for less commonly taught or endangered languages. The company has partnered Grassroots Indigenous Multimedia to preserve the Native American language Ojibwe, and has worked with BASAbali to create a course for Balinese, a threatened language spoken on the Indonesian island of Bali. The program equips these partners with tools to continue teaching their language of interest, while also exposing the language to the entire Transparent Language user base.[15] The CEO, Michael Quinlan, explains Transparent Language's commitment to this initiative in this way: "We live in an age of global interaction. No language is so small that no one needs to learn it. If we could, we would provide learning material for all 7,000 languages in the world."[16]

In April 2013, Transparent Language announced the launch of the 7000 Languages Project. The initiative replaces and expands upon the former Heritage and Endangered Language Program in an effort to provide the company's language learning technology and platforms to under-resourced languages, in conjunction with NCOLCTL.[17]

In 2017, the 7000 Languages Project became an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, still committed to the goal of preserving and promoting endangered and indigenous languages. Transparent Language continues to donate its technology in support of the organization's language courses.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Language training company based in Nashua inspired by son's word games". Nashua Telegraph. Archived from the original on 2016-03-06. Retrieved 2013-03-05.
  2. ^ "The Five Principles of Effective Second Language Acquisition". Transparent Language, Inc. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  3. ^ "The Five Principles of Effective Second Language Acquisition". Transparent Language, Inc. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  4. ^ Graham, David (1992). "Transparent Language 1.0". Computers and the Humanities. 26 (3): 223–227. ISSN 0010-4817. JSTOR 30204469.
  5. ^ Saury, Rachel (June 1998). "Creating a Psychological Foundation for the Evaluation of Pre-Packaged Software in Second Language Learning" (PDF). ED-MEDIA/ED-TELECOM 98 World Conference OnEducational Multimedia and Hypermedia & World Conference OnEducational Telecommunications. Proceedings (10th, Freiburg,Germany, June 20–25, 1998); – via ERIC.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
  6. ^ Wildner, Siegrun (2002). "Review of Learn German Now! Version 8". CALICO Journal. 20 (1): 161–174. doi:10.1558/cj.v20i1.161-174. ISSN 0742-7778. JSTOR 24149615 – via JSTOR.
  7. ^ Tang, Xiaofei (2018). "Transparent Language for Learning Chinese". Calico. 35 (3): 324–332. doi:10.1558/cj.34991 – via Equinox.
  8. ^ Arif, Seema, Irfana Omar (2019). "Effectiveness of flipped classroom in teaching basic English courses". Journal of Higher Education (Turkey) – via Dergipark.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. ^ Mowery, Sarah. "Transparent Language Online". www.infohio.org. Retrieved 2021-08-28.
  10. ^ "Government Language Learning - CL-150 Platform".
  11. ^ Kennerly, Ethan (May 2009). Runesinger: A Demonstration Of Coupling Korean Phonics And Spelling To A Videogame (PDF) (MFA thesis). University of Southern California.
  12. ^ USMC Center for Advanced Operational Culture Learning (2014-04-24). "Marines' Views on How to Improve Marine Corps Cultural and Language Training and Education Programs" (PDF). DTIC. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  13. ^ Volnikova, E.A. , and Yu.M. Gorbacheva (2006-12-08). "The Possibilities Of Using Advanced Internet Resources In The University Educational Process (In Terms Of Foreign Languages Studying)" (PDF). Penza State Technological University (Penza, Russia) (in Russian).{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  14. ^ "Byki discontinued". Transparent Language. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
  15. ^ "The Business of Rescuing Languages". Transparent Language. 20 February 2013. Retrieved 2013-03-05.
  16. ^ "Transparent Language H.E.L.P. Program". Transparent Language. Retrieved 2013-03-05.
  17. ^ "Leading Language-Learning Company Launches "7000 Languages Project"". Transparent Language. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
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