SAR for adults in learning dialects

Social Assistance Robotics (SAR) is the development of robots with social behavior characteristics, which aim to support, through social interaction, their users in carrying out various tasks. One of the areas where SAR is utilized is the teaching of a foreign / second language, mainly to children. SAR, through the social relationship they develop with humans, create motivation, form appropriate attitudes and develop appropriate conditions to support learning. This application with the Nao Robot was designed to examine whether a SAR could be used in teaching the Pontic dialect to adults. For this purpose, teaching activities were designed with specific learning objectives, integrated into the curriculum. A total of thirty students took part, individually, in this teaching intervention and then expressed their impressions and views in an individual interview. At the same time, a video recording of the activities was carried out. The research data were analyzed based on the methods of qualitative research. The analysis of the data showed that most of the participants viewed the project positively. The interaction with the SAR enhanced the positive mood for learning and stimulated their interest. Participants commented positively on the fact that they had the opportunity to practice their language activities in an alternative, enjoyable way. However, they pointed out the lack of deeper and more substantial communication that is achieved between humans, a lack that is a result of the currently unresolved design weaknesses of robots. However, the indications are positive and the use of SAR in the field of adult language teaching is of interest for further research.