From structure to process: computer-assisted teaching of various strategies for generating pronoun constructions in French (1)

This paper describes an implemented tutoring system (2), designed to help students to generate clitic-constructions in French, While showing various ways of converting a given meaning structure into its corresponding surface expression, the system helps not only to discover <u>what</u> data to process but also <u>how</u> this information processing should take place. In other words, we are concerned with efficiency in verbal planning (performance).Recognizing that the same result can be obtained by various methods, the student should find out which one is best suited to the circumstances (what is known, task demands etc.). Informational states, hence the processor's needs, may vary to a great extent, as may his strategies or cognitive styles. In consequence, in order to become an efficient processor, the student has to acquire not only STRUCTURAL or RULE-KNOWLEDGE but also PROCEDURAL-KNOWLEDGE (skill).With this in mind we have designed three modules in order to foster a reflective, experimental attitude in the learner, helping him to discover insightfully the most efficient strategy.