Caitlin Holman
ABSTRACT
Language barriers prevent people from communicating directly and are often a reflection of larger cultural divisions that hinder connection. Exposure to foreign languages and cultures through travel can help bridge this divide, but is not always feasible given time and monetary constraints. Language exchange partnerships are an excellent way to learn a new language, but are often difficult to maintain due to lack of common ground between partners and the absence of supporting materials. We present Lingua, a system to connect individuals with different linguistic backgrounds, and provide them a digital space tailored to support language learning through conversation with a partner. Their dialogue is driven in part by the application's support for using shared multimedia to offer examples of their respective cultures.
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Index Terms
- Lingua: cultural exchange through language partnerships
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