Language skills teaching method and apparatus

A method for teaching a target language to a student:

• presenting a query to the student requiring a response in the form of a responsive multiword phrase of words in the target language;
• accepting from said student a sequence of single actions, each single action being potentially representative of a respective word in the multiword phrase;
• accepting from the student spoken input as a response to the query;
• comparing words in the multiword phrase to portions of said spoken input based upon timing information derived from said sequence of single actions;
• and
• outputting a signal indicative of whether said user provided a proper response.

Apparatus for teaching a target language to a student comprising:

• a query generator presenting a query to the student requiring a response in the form of a sequence of responsive words in the target language;
• a first input device operated by the student to produce a sequence of single actions, each single action being potentially representative of a respective word in the multiword phrase;
• a second input device accepting from the student spoken input as a response to the query;
• a comparator comparing words in the multiword phrase to portions of said spoken input based upon timing information derived from said sequence of single actions.