The software giant has developed a system designed to help students learn how to inflect verbs in foreign languages ● It is not yet clear what use will be made of the technology
Eric Chabro, InformationWeek
Microsoft has submitted to the United States Patent and Trademark Office an application to register a patent for a system it has developed, which is designed to help students learn how to inflect verbs in foreign languages. "Anyone who studied French in high school knows how difficult it is to learn how to conjugate verbs in foreign languages," says David Keffer, director of Microsoft's intellectual property department. "Similar to how a complex software algorithm can help users spot errors in grammar and spelling, so the software can also help in learning new languages. We are developing appropriate methods for this."
From the application submitted by Microsoft for the registration of the patent, it appears that the development makes it possible to overcome the limitations discovered in existing programs for declension of verbs, such as identifying the correct declension or errors in finding the equivalent word in a foreign language. Please note that the system can be integrated into modules designed for PCs, servers, PDAs, cell phones, digital cameras, and more.
Microsoft refuses to reveal what use it intends to make of the technology, but Keffer hints that the system will be integrated into Word software. "It is likely that those who write documents in many languages need a tool to help them polish the text. You can face the challenge in several ways, and this is one of them."
