Interest

Virtual Idol Hatsune Miku to Help Teach English

The online English-learning system LincEnglish is collaborating with the virtual idols Hatsune Miku and Megurine Luka to create new language-learning software. Details about the Vocaloid characters' appearances in the system have yet to be announced.

LincEnglish's existing system offers English-teaching materials for native Japanese speakers with pictures, videos, and voice recordings. LincKids incorporates games and songs to teach young children English. The company's regular LincEnglish software is intended for junior high school students and older people, while LincKids is targeted at babies to elementary school students. Both versions of the company's new English-teaching tools will feature the Vocaloid characters. LincEnglish's website states the Hatsune Miku and Megurine Luka software is "comming soon."

Chukei also published a book in April that teaches English with Nagaru Tanigawa's Haruhi Suzumiya science-fiction comedy light novel series and another book that teaches chemistry with Lucky Star characters last October. The Moetan and Maritan franchises began as vocabulary guides that teach English words with moe and military characters, respectively. Tokyopop/Kaplan, CliffNotes, and No Starch Press are some of the imprints that have published educational, manga-related guides for English and other subjects in North America.

Source: Weekly ASCII Plus