Bellaterra Journal of Teaching & Learning Language & Literature (Feb 2014)

The European Digital Kitchen Project

  • Paul Seedhouse,
  • Anne Preston,
  • Patrick Olivier,
  • Dan Jackson,
  • Philip Heslop,
  • Madeline Balaam,
  • Ashur Rafiev,
  • Matthew Kipling

DOI
https://doi.org/10.5565/rev/jtl3.554
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 7, no. 1

Abstract

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This article reports on the European Digital Kitchen, an EU-funded language learning project which promotes learning of languages, cultures and cuisines in digital interactive kitchens. The project involves taking a normal kitchen and specifically adapting it for language learning using the next generation of digital technology, namely activity recognition and sensor technology. We intend that learners will be able to learn aspects of the language whilst performing a meaningful real-world task and will simultaneously experience the cultural aspect of learning to cook a foreign dish. The article starts by outlining the project background, including rationale, motivation and aims. We then explain in detail how the technology works (using photographs) and outline our design methodology, which blends Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). We then present 3 extracts of Digital Kitchen interaction to illustrate the type of learning which takes place.

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