French Kitchen Information Event

Using digital technology to teach French language and cuisine

Language teachers and other interested parties are invited to attend the French digital kitchen dissemination event which will showcase the results of a year of research in the form of a digital kitchen that is used for language learning. The event is particularly aimed at teachers of French in the North-East.

The French kitchen project is funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and started in June 2010. It involves Newcastle University staff Professor Paul Seedhouse and Saandia Ali (from Education) as well as Professor Patrick Olivier, Phil Heslop and Daniel Jackson (from Computing Science).

We have built a context aware/intelligent kitchen which is equipped with digital sensors or tracking devices that are able to detect what the users do. Embedded in the utensils or kitchen parts, the sensors use a technology that is similar to the Nintendo Wii. The digital kitchens speak to you (in the same way as Sat Nav) in French and give you step-by-step instructions on how to prepare French cuisine. Sensors (accelerometers) are attached to all kitchen equipment and ingredients so when an item is correctly or incorrectly moved, you can be given appropriate verbal feedback. You learn grammar and vocabulary items by doing the task and are tested on those items on a digital screen after the cooking is done. Then you also assess your cooking by eating it!

We are looking at the future possibility of installing portable versions of the kitchen in schools and colleges in the region.