The ALEXIA System: The Use of Visual Representations to Enhance Vocabulary Learning

Cognition-based arguments in support of using multimedia aids for the learning of vocabulary have so far offered only an imprecise, general framework. CALL experimentalists have tried to show the effectiveness of multimedia for vocabulary learning, but their attempts reveal that the underlying representations have not been clearly defined. After reviewing these points, we propose criteria for evaluating the quality of a visual representation in a lexical environment. These criteria are then used to discuss visual representations in paper and electronic dictionaries and in CALL environments. There is confusion between multimedia and non-verbal knowledge, hence visual representations are scarce and limited to concrete words. One way to extend multimedia in lexical learning is to rely on linguistic knowledge and build lexical networks. We present the ALEXIA system, a lexical learning environment for French as a second/foreign language. We describe its network module, which can automatically build graphs of certain lexical semantic relations. It is a first step towards offering learners representations they can easily interpret. Visual representations which cover a significant part of the lexicon are computable, extendible and interactive.