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Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin | Projects | CALLIDUS | Blog 2017-2018 | Market Analysis: Software for Latin

Market Analysis: Software for Latin

In order to determine which products the to-be software Machina Callida might have to compete with, a brief market analysis was carried out. It was evident that dictionaries of various kinds are dominant. Latin specific (and free) learning programs are much less common.

Latin-specific, digital tools

Roughly speaking, all tools can be sorted according to their degree of availability: There are many free tools as well as some tools you have to pay for. Furthermore, dictionaries dominate the "Latin market". The overview gives the following picture:


Free dictionaries (partly with advertising)

 

Paid "dictionaries"

  • Dictionaries or basic vocabulary of the publishing houses as part of their textbooks
  • Teaching assistant of the publishing houses as part of their textbooks
  • Textbook-independent, e.g. a Langenscheidt dictionary

 

Free vocabulary training software

 

Paid vocabulary training software

  • Numerous (older) vocabulary software (layout resp. operating system outdated)
  • Form training software from publishing houses (as part of the textbooks)
  • Navigium (2017): Cloud, PC, App

 
General tools for vocabulary work

Most programs, web solutions, and apps are free with their basic functions. However, if you want to use useful extensions (e.g. voice recordings for Quizlet), you have to purchase them for a fee.

This selection should only show that there is no lack of apps or web-based solutions for vocabulary work (modern languages). And many of these tools give ideas about what the Machina Callida might look like and what it could do.

 

Existing exercise formats

Overall, the following exercise types are emerging:

  • Flashcards (index cards), including explanations, e.g. sentence examples, grammatical information
  • Multiple-choice
  • Assignments: Text-Text, Audio-Text, Video-Text
  • Games: Wordsearch, anagram, hangman, puzzle...
  • True/False questions
  • Identify the object to be described
  • Cloze (with and without translations)

 

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