APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR TASK BASED LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION

1 . A computer-implemented method for teaching a target language, comprising:

providing a pool of tasks associated with instruction of the target language by a computing system;

receiving a query from a user requesting instruction of a target task from among the pool of tasks;

identifying a sequence of tasks beneficial for teaching the target task; and

presenting a lesson plan, including the beneficial sequence of language tasks, to the user in response to the user query, wherein the lesson plan includes the target task and at least one supporting task.

2 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:

teaching the tasks to the student in the identified sequence.

3 . The method of claim 1 wherein the step of identifying comprises:

accumulating data including at least one indicium of success in teaching the target task to at least one student.

4 . The method of claim 3 wherein the step of identifying further comprises:

analyzing the accumulated data to establish an optimal sequence of the tasks to be taught to the at least one student, based on the at least one indicium of success; and

establishing the lesson plan for the target language task in accordance with the optimal sequence of tasks.

5 . The method of claim 1 wherein at least one said supporting task is located prior to the target task in the sequence of tasks in the lesson plan.

6 . The method of claim 1 wherein at least one said supporting task is located after the target task in the sequence of tasks in the lesson plan.

7 . The method of claim 3 wherein the at least one indicium of success is selected from the group consisting of: (a) the speed with which the target task is learned; (b) the completeness of learning of the target task by the student; and (c) the duration of retention of subject matter of the target task by the student.

8 . The method of claim 1 wherein the pool of language tasks includes a plurality of tasks selected from the group consisting of: ordering dinner; booking airline travel; requesting directions to a travel destination.

9 . A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for teaching a target language to a student, the computer program product comprising:

data representing a pool of tasks associated with instruction of the target language by a computing system, stored on the computer readable medium;

code for receiving a query from a user requesting instruction of a target task from among the pool of tasks;

code for identifying a sequence of tasks beneficial for teaching the target task; and

code for presenting a lesson plan, including the beneficial sequence of language tasks, to the user in response to the user query, wherein the lesson plan includes the target task and at least one supporting task.

10 . The computer program product of claim 9 further comprising:

code for teaching the tasks to the student in the identified sequence.

11 . The computer program product of claim 9 wherein the code for identifying comprises:

code for accumulating data including at least one indicium of success in teaching the target task to at least one student.

12 . The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the code for identifying further comprises:

code for analyzing the accumulated data to establish an optimal sequence of the tasks to be taught to the at least one student, based on the at least one indicium of success; and

code for establishing the lesson plan for the target language task in accordance with the optimal sequence of tasks.

13 . The computer program product of claim 9 wherein at least one said supporting task is located prior to the target task in the sequence of tasks in the lesson plan.

14 . The computer program product of claim 9 wherein at least one said supporting task is located after the target task in the sequence of tasks in the lesson plan.

15 . The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the at least one indicium of success is selected from the group consisting of: (a) the speed with which the target task is learned; (b) the completeness of learning of the target task by the student; and (c) the duration of retention of subject matter of the target task by the student.

16 . The computer program product of claim 12 wherein the pool of language tasks includes a plurality of tasks selected from the group consisting of: ordering dinner; booking airline travel; requesting directions to a travel destination.

17 . A method comprising interacting over a data network with a plurality of learners of a target language, maintaining data indicative of the tasks and support tasks, and determining an order in which to learn tasks in said target language based upon said data.

18 . The method of claim wherein said determining is also based upon an entered task that a user desires to learn.