January 2012 Volume 15 Number 1 - Educational Technology ...

Hsieh, T.-C., Wang, T.-I., Su, C.-Y., & Lee, M.-C. (2012). A Fuzzy Logic-based Personalized Learning System for Supporting
Adaptive English Learning. Educational Technology & Society, 15 (1), 273–288.
A Fuzzy Logic-based Personalized Learning System for Supporting Adaptive
English Learning
Tung-Cheng Hsieh, Tzone-I Wang * , Chien-Yuan Su and Ming-Che Lee 1
Department of Engineering Science, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan // 1 Department of Computer
and Communication Engineering, Ming Chuan University, Taoyuan, Taiwan // n9896132@mail.ncku.edu.tw //
wti535@mail.ncku.edu.tw // n9897108@mail.ncku.edu.tw // leemc@mail.mcu.edu.tw
* Corresponding author
ABSTRACT
As a nearly global language, English as a Foreign Language (EFL) programs are essential for people wishing to
learn English. Researchers have noted that extensive reading is an effective way to improve a person's command
of English. Choosing suitable articles in accordance with a learner's needs, interests and ability using an elearning
system requires precise learner profiles. This paper proposes a personalized English article
recommending system, which uses accumulated learner profiles to choose appropriate English articles for a
learner. It employs fuzzy inference mechanisms, memory cycle updates, learner preferences and analytic
hierarchy process (AHP) to help learners improve their English ability in an extensive reading environment. By
using fuzzy inferences and personal memory cycle updates, it is possible to find an article best suited for both a
learner’s ability and her/his need to review vocabulary. After reading an article, a test is immediately provided
to enhance a learner’s memory for the words newly learned in the article. The responses of tests can be used to
explicitly update memory cycles of the newly-learned vocabulary. In addition, this paper proposes a
methodology that also implicitly modifies memory cycles of words that were learned before. By intensively
reading articles recommended through the proposed approach, learners comprehend new words quickly and
review words that they knew implicitly as well, thereby efficiently improving their vocabulary volume.
Analyses of learner achievements and questionnaires have confirmed that the adaptive learning method
presented in this study not only enhances the English ability of learners but also helps maintaining their learning
interest.
Keywords
Intelligent tutoring systems, English learning, Fuzzy inference, Analytic hierarchy process
Introduction
With advances in network technologies, geographic barriers are hardly a problem now for global communication.
Languages, whether written or spoken, are the major tools for cyber communication, and English, with its wide
popularity, has been recognized as a global language. For non-native English-speaking people, extensive reading is a
common way to improve a person's command of English. English is even taken as a major course in primary schools
in many countries where English as a Foreign Language (EFL) is taught, especially East Asia. One of the keys to
success in English learning depends on a person’s vocabulary volume. Improving the English vocabulary of a learner
has thus become a popular research issue in countries where EFL is widely taught.
English teaching in Taiwan usually emphasizes the analysis and memorization of stems, prefixes, and suffixes of
unknown words and uses vocabulary in accordance with a learner’s command of English to explain the meaning of
these words. This practice enables a learner to remember the meaning of a word, but it may not allow the learner
comprehend the word and be able to use the word in different circumstances. As such, the learner may forget it
quickly. To build up one's vocabulary volume quickly and sustainably, the best method is not to remember the words
by rote but rather to read extensively and often. These experts all suggest that a long-term habit of extensively
reading articles that are appropriate for a learner’s English ability can greatly improve the vocabulary and command
of a learner of English (Song, 2000; Xuan, 2002; Chen & Hsu; 2008a). However, this strategy may be difficult to
implement for a learner with no extensive vocabulary because the learner may have problems either in choosing
appropriate levels of articles in accordance with her/his needs and interests or in figuring out the meaning of
unknown words using the semantics of familiar words in an article that is obtained. Dictionaries are always helpful;
however, the need to continually look up unknown words, which once learned may be forgotten in a few days as per
learning curve theory, might also easily discourage a learner. Several studies have also developed language tutoring
systems in order to assist learners in learning language (Heift & Nicholson, 2001; Hsu, 2008; Ferreira & Atkinson,
2009) and Essalmi et al. (2010) have also proposed different personalization strategies for personalized e-learning
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