Robot-Assisted Language Learning Increases Functional Connectivity in Children's Brain

The current study investigated how robot tutors influence brain activity during child-robot interaction (CRI) for learning of second language vocabulary. We gathered EEG signals from two groups of children; 1) Robot group (N=21) who listened to a storytelling social robot and learned French words, and 2) Display group (N=20) who listened to the same story in the French language mediated by only a computer screen. To measure learning-induced changes in the brain, functional connectivity analysis was conducted on EEG signals, which quantifies the communication between brain regions during the learning phase. Results showed a significantly higher functional brain connectivity for the Robot group in the theta frequency band, which has been previously associated with language functions in neuroscientific literature. Our results provide neurophysiological evidence for the benefit of robot tutors in second language learning in children.