ARLang: An Outdoor Augmented Reality Application for Portuguese Vocabulary Learning

TL;DR

This paper presents ARLang, an outdoor augmented reality app that displays bilingual labels on physical objects to enhance Portuguese vocabulary learning, showing user preference over traditional flashcards.

Contribution

The paper introduces a novel outdoor AR system for language learning and provides preliminary evidence of its user preference and potential benefits.

Findings

Participants preferred AR labels over flashcards.

The system supports mobile, outdoor vocabulary learning.

Preliminary results encourage further research.

Abstract

With recent computer vision techniques and user-generated content, we can augment the physical world with metadata that describes attributes, such as names, geo-locations, and visual features of physical objects. To assess the benefits of these potentially ubiquitous labels for foreign vocabulary learning, we built a proof-of-concept system that displays bilingual text and sound labels on physical objects outdoors using augmented reality. Established tools for language learning have focused on effective content delivery methods such as books and flashcards. However, recent research and consumer learning tools have begun to focus on how learning can become more mobile, ubiquitous, and desirable. To test whether our system supports vocabulary learning, we conducted a preliminary between-subjects (N=44) study. Our results indicate that participants preferred learning with virtual labels on real-world objects outdoors over learning with flashcards. Our findings motivate further investigation into mobile AR-based learning systems in outdoor settings.