Abstract: A computerized device which has access to visual content receives a crop control code associated with that content. The computerized device has a software agent which, in response to the crop control code, to cause display of a selected portion of the visual content. Preferably, the software agent interacts with the computerized device to derive information on the characteristics of a display available on the device and utilizes that information to display the selected portion of the visual content.

Abstract: A student providing a multi-word response in a computerized language teaching system provides a manual input concurrently with each responsive word. For example, he might enter a keystroke correspondent to the first letter of each word. When using the teaching computer silently, a student will typically “speak” each word mentally as he enters a keystroke, so the limited experience is almost as effective as speaking out loud. When a student types one or more keystrokes concurrently with each word that he speaks, the computer will be able to detect when a student is responding with a correct word, but merely mispronouncing it. Also, since the computer will receive a keystroke as the student starts each new word, it is better able to distinguish the boundaries between words and recognize them more reliably.

Abstract: A student providing a multi-word response in a computerized language teaching system provides a manual input concurrently with each responsive word. For example, he might enter a keystroke correspondent to the first letter of each word. When using the teaching computer silently, a student will typically “speak” each word mentally as he enters a keystroke, so the limited experience is almost as effective as speaking out loud. When a student types one or more keystrokes concurrently with each word that he speaks, the computer will be able to detect when a student is responding with a correct word, but merely mispronouncing it. Also, since the computer will receive a keystroke as the student starts each new word, it is better able to distinguish the boundaries between words and recognize them more reliably.

Abstract: A student is taught a language through the introduction of target expressions including features, such as specific words or phrases and language structure. The student is presented one or more reference expressions made up of target expression with one or more of its features altered, while maintaining semantic meaningfulness, and he is prompted with a prompting expression designed to elicit the target expression as a response, in view of the at least one reference expression.