Supporting Second Language Learners through SKANDIBOT: A Lexicographical Design Approach

Migrant professional language learners need to be supported in acquiring a second language effectively beyond the classroom. These learners frequently lack opportunities to participate in language classes due to full-time jobs. Yet, quick acquisition of the target language is a needed prerequisite for their successful integration into job settings and the host society. To assist these learners in their smooth acquisition of the target language, this study takes advantage of the recent developments in artificial intelligence and presents the design of a chatbot, called SKANDIBOT aimed at fostering second language learners' conversational practice in professional work settings of Sweden and Denmark. The results of this work-in-progress study indicate that both healthcare and learning professionals perceive the overall interaction design of SKANDIBOT and the information offered in it to be useful for their second language acquisition.