16 December 2011 / by Radmila Gurkova

Learning Languages with CAPTCHAs

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQl6jUjFjp4

The term CAPTCHA (for Completely Automated Public Turing Test To Tell Computers and Humans Apart) was coined in 2000 by Luis von Ahn, Manuel Blum, Nicholas Hopper and John Langford of Carnegie Mellon University. Luis - the man who brought you the word CAPTCHA and reCAPTCHA, now unveils his newest and most innovative project to date, please watch the video.



The process is a type of challenge response test used in computing as an attempt to ensure the response is generated by a human.

The process usually involves one computer (a server) asking a user to complete a simple test which the computer is able to generate and grade. Because other computers are assumed to be unable to solve the CAPTCHA, any user entering a correct solution is presumed to be human. Thus, it is sometimes described as a reverse Turing test (The Turing test is a test of a machine's ability to exhibit intelligent behaviour) because it is administered by a machine and targeted at a human, in contrast to the standard Turing test that is typically administered by a human and targeted at a machine. A common type of CAPTCHA requires the user to type letters or digits from a distorted image that appears on the screen.

Yes we've all done this at some point and got it right or probably got it wrong... Go through this target language relating to CAPTCHA, taken from a conference by Luis von Ahn.


































































Word Image Definition Example Listen
 CAPTCHA Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart; a type of challenge-response test used in computing as an attempt to ensure that the response is generated by a person Amazon.com uses CAPTCHAs.  Listen
 Check The act or an instance of inspecting or testing, as for accuracy or quality; examination. The careful check of each unit before sale; gave the car an oil check.  Listen
 Deploy To spread out strategically A poet demanded that the government end its strategy of deploying the army against crime groups. Listen
 Spam Electronic mail with irrelevant content I receive a lot of spam in my mail.  Listen
Digitize To convert (data) to digital form for use in a computer. Today a lot of books are digitize. Listen
Expenditure The act of expending something, especially funds; disbursement; consumption. A Rolex watch is an unnecessary expenditure.  Listen
 Untapped Not utilized:not used The company had untapped resources that we were able to use.  Listen
 Response An answer or reply I need a response to the question.  Listen

 

"After re-purposing CAPTCHA so each human-typed response helps digitize books, Luis von Ahn wondered how else to use small contributions by many on the Internet for greater good. At TEDxCMU, he shares how his ambitious new project, Duolingo, will help millions learn a new language while translating the Web quickly and accurately -- all for free."

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE



GRAMMAR PRACTICE


Click here to read a post that helps to explain one of the grammar issues in this video: the use of 'real' and 'really'.

There is another post here that helps set out some points about the use of the verb 'to have' related to this topic.

READ MORE


Click here to read the transcript of the CAPTCHA video presentation.

 

15

March 2012
250 EXTRA hours of daylight a year?
by Radmila Gurkova
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVpFc9xERdY This month we ‘Spring Forward’ and move the clocks on by one hour to move into Summertime. In the UK MP’s are deliberating whether to permanently move the clocks forward by one hour to continuously keep the same time. By putting the clocks forward, (Spring Forward or Fall B...

15

March 2012
iPhones - easier than tying your shoelaces
by Radmila Gurkova
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzi2RIt8_nk Did you know that children today find it much easier to use an iPhone than to tie their shoelaces? A report shows today that as many as 45 per cent of children in the UK aged between five and 13 cannot tie their shoelaces but 67 per cent know how to use their iPhones and DVD players. ...

10

March 2012
Tag questions can be difficult, can't they?
by Radmila Gurkova
P4 - tag questions  Use: Tag questions are used to verify if a statement is true or not. Something we use them in a sarcastic tone to make a strong point. Tag Questions:...

10

March 2012
She COULD be a good teacher
by Radmila Gurkova
P4 - Modals (could) for expressing ability, request, permission, possibility subject + could + main verb Can you use modal verb?  Use - Could does not change Remember: Could cannot be used with to I could to swi...

10

March 2012
I am GOING TO learn English
by Radmila Gurkova
P2 - expressing future actions with "to be going to" We use 'will' and 'be going to' to express future actions but what is the difference? Future tense - things that are going to happen Two ways to talk about the future: Will - Tomorrow I will eat a sandwich To be going to - I am going to eat pasta...

10

March 2012
Help!!!!! How to use exclamations?
by Radmila Gurkova
P2 - exclamations Please Help Me! What a lovely day! Don't do that! That's amazing! Exclamations are often used outside of formal writing to express strong feelings such as, surprise, joy, anger. It is used at the end of the sentence instead of a full stop. Exclamations ofte...

09

March 2012
Friday Fun: The History of English #10
by Radmila Gurkova
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70KHDbLmr_I The history of the English language series concludes with this final video that shows how English has now spread around the world and is spoken by over 1.5 billion people. It's interesting to note that only 1/4 of these people are native English speakers. So there's no reason to not learn English!...

08

March 2012
St. Patrick's Day - Don't make a parade out it!!!!
by Radmila Gurkova
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y07at1bU89Q Many people around the world celebrate St Patrick's Day on the March 17th He is the most commonly recognised Patron saint of Ireland and commemorates Christianity being introduced to this Emerald Isle. However - St Patrick was not Irish; he was from Wales and therefore Welsh. He used t...

08

March 2012
Do Schools Kill Creativity?
by Radmila Gurkova
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY Creativity expert Sir Ken Robinson recently challenged the way we educate our children and made a profound case stating that schools undermine rather than nurture. He feels that ‘‘we are educating people out of their creativity,'' and that children today are ignored and stigmatized....

08

March 2012
February Monthly Quiz
by Radmila Gurkova
Test your knowledge with our monthly quiz ...