Welcome to learning English,a daily 30 minutes program from the voice of America.I am Johnathan Evans, and I'm Ashely Thompson.This program is aimed at English learners, so we speak a little slower and we use words and phrases specially written for people learning English.
Today on the program we will hear from Fread Gibson and Alice Bryant, Mario Ritter and Caty Weaver , later we will present Works and their stories
But first.
1.New AI Technology Lets Students Evaluate Professors by ‘Chatting’
Artificial intelligence, or AI, has slowly begun to influence higher education around the world. Now, one new AI tool could change the way university students evaluate their professors.
The tool is called Hubert. It is a teacher evaluation tool that appears as an AI-powered chatbot. Instead of filling out a form, students use a chat window to give feedback on the course and their professor. Afterwards, Hubert categorizes the students' comments for the professor to review.
The beta version of Hubert launched about seven months ago. It is free for educators to use. More than 600 teachers use it already.
Making evaluations easier, and more human
The goal of the new Hubert program is to improve education by giving teachers detailed, organized feedback from students.
Viktor Nordmark, from Sweden, started the company in 2015, with several friends. Before creating Hubert, the founders asked teachers what would improve their teaching skills. The answer, Nordmark said, was qualitative feedback from their students. In other words, teachers wanted students to write detailed answers to open-ended questions about their experiences in class.
Qualitative feedback is different from the survey responses students are often asked to provide at the end of a class. "This kind of data takes a lot of time for professors to collect and analyze," Nordmark said. And for the students, it can also be "really boring to fill out."
So Nordmark and his friends designed Hubert as a compromise between a traditional survey and a personal interview. "You can reach a really large crowd, but you can also get really qualitative data back," Nordmark said.
First, they ran a program to train Hubert to understand human conversation. Hubert learned different types of comments, and how to respond to them. Then Hubert learned how to organize the comments it received into categories.
Now, when Hubert receives comments from students, it compares them with the information already in its system to organize the data.
This idea, Nordmark says, is that Hubert will continue to get smarter as it receives more comments.
How it changes classrooms
What makes Hubert special is its similarity to communicating with a human. For some professors, this feature helps them receive higher-quality feedback.
"It allows students to zero in on things that are of interest to them... of concern to them, and a chance to say something good... they can essentially present what their concerns are...and it's not threatening," said John Munro, an associate professor of business at the University of the Virgin Islands.
The AI technology "Hubert" giving a practice evaluation
Munro believed traditional methods of evaluating professors were not very helpful. They happened only at the end of the course, and the questions were formed around a four-part ranking system based on traditional lecture classes. These kinds of surveys, Munro said, did not give him the right information to make effective changes in his classroom.
In contrast, professors can offer the Hubert evaluation anytime they want. The chatbot asks students four questions: What could the instructor do to improve the course? Is there anything the instructor should stop doing? What's working well? How has the class been over all?
Munro thinks the "chat" format of the evaluation helps get more information out of students.
"Everyone, both students and professors, are already comfortable with chats," Munro said.
If students respond with no information, Hubert knows to try again by asking follow-up questions. For example, if a student responds with "no," Hubert might ask, "Are you sure there is nothing that could be different?"
Hubert evaluations might also be helpful for English language learners. Samuel Adams is an instructional technology specialist in English language programs at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He tested Hubert with his English teacher training course.
"On average, we get very little written feedback from language learners," Adams said.
Adams found that Hubert was effective in getting written feedback about his course. But it did have its limitations. Adams found that the pre-set interview questions made it impossible to get information about other parts of his teaching. And the feedback is also organized into pre-established categories.
An artificially human future
Nordmark says he and his co-founders have plans to make Hubert more flexible and accurate. They would like to give teachers the possibility of selecting their own evaluation questions. And they will teach Hubert to create its own categories, so that it can more correctly organize information. This feature would also allow Hubert to be used outside of education systems.
Its creators also want to make Hubert more human-like and possess qualities such as humor in the interviews.
Another goal is to let Hubert users share the information they are learning. If teachers are discovering strategies that work well in their classrooms, Nordmark wants to develop a way for them to share that advice with other Hubert users.
I'm Phil Dierking.
Phil Dierking reported this story for VOA Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor.
What are other ways you think artificial intelligence could be used in higher education? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on 51VOA.COM.
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Words in This Story
accurate - adj. free from mistakes or errors
analyze - v. to study (something) closely and carefully
artificial intelligence - n. an area of computer science that deals with giving machines the ability to seem like they have human intelligence
boring - adj. dull and uninteresting
categorize - v. to put (someone or something) into a group of similar people or things
chatbot - n. a computer program designed to simulate conversation with human users, especially over the Internet.
contrast - v. to be different especially in a way that is very obvious
course - n. a series of classes about a particular subject in a school
comfortable - adj. not causing any physically unpleasant feelings
data - n. facts or information used usually to calculate, analyze, or plan something
essential - adj. extremely important and necessary
evaluate - v. to judge the value or condition of (someone or something) in a careful and thoughtful way
feature - n. an interesting or important part, quality, ability, etc.
feedback - n. helpful information or criticism that is given to someone to say what can be done to improve a performance, product, etc.
flexible - adj. an interesting or important part, quality, ability, etc.
format - n. the form, design, or arrangement of something (such as a book, magazine, or television or radio program)
lecture - n. a talk or speech given to a group of people to teach them about a particular subject
interview - n. a meeting at which people talk to each other in order to ask questions and get information
instructor - n. a person who teaches a subject or skill
ranking - adj. having a high position or the highest position in a group or organization
response - n. something that is said or written as a reply to something
review - v. an act of carefully looking at or examining the quality or condition of something or someone
select - v. to choose (someone or something) from a group
strategy - n. a careful plan or method for achieving a particular goal usually over a long period of time
survey - n. an activity in which many people are asked a question or a series of questions in order to gather information about what most people do or think about something
type - n. type
zero in - phrasal v. to direct all of one's attention to (someone or something)
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2.Smart Mirrors Show What You Would Look Like Wearing…
Software applications let smart phone users do a lot with their photographs.
Apps such as Snapchat already give users the ability to add dog ears, colorful rainbow tongues and other images onto smart phone photos.
Virtual mirrors are a little different. They are designed to let users see what they would look like wearing products that they might want to buy. Some examples are earrings or other jewelry, lipstick and eyeglasses.
Snapchat lets users add things to photos. Smart mirrors work using the same principle.
These smart mirror applications are gaining popularity among retail businesses, which want to get people into their stores.
A smart mirror is simply an app that turns the screen of a smart phone or other mobile device into a mirror, using its camera function. As users look at the image, the app will make it appear as if they are wearing the product.
Peter Johnson is with FaceCake Marketing Technologies. He said, "Virtual try-on offers people the ability to try on numerous products, many more than they would be able to try on otherwise."
Recently, Johnson demonstrated how an app called Dangle works. The software program lets store customers try on different earrings without touching a single pair.
Dangle can be used on a computer tablet. It uses the tablet's camera and the app's facial recognition technology to make it appear as if the user is wearing earrings.
The digital earrings in the image appear almost real. They move with the user, providing a realistic experience. With Dangle, retailers can show customers all of their earrings in a short period of time — something almost impossible without technology.
There are other good reasons to use the app. Trying-on products with the virtual mirror means there is nothing to damage, lose or at risk of being stolen.
"In-store jewelry, even costume jewelry, in now quite expensive," noted Peter Johnson.
"This is a way to keep inventory secure, while people are making decisions about what they want to wear," he said.
A makeover for shopping outside of the home
Virtual mirrors work with another product that takes time and effort to try on: makeup.
A company called MemoMi has developed an augmented reality app that lets customers virtually put on makeup. At Neiman Marcus stores, customers can use the app on a mobile device to see how beauty products would look on them.
The MemoMi software also is designed to teach users how to use the products. The app can record a beauty care expert putting makeup on a model, along with notes and spoken directions. The recording can then be shared with others on social media.
Alec Gefrides is with the American technology company Intel. He said the app can help people use products the way experts suggest and allows them to repeat the process at home.
Getting people to shop in stores again
Smart mirror apps are an example of how retail stores are turning to online services inside their stores to attract customers.
Online shoppers already expect experiences that are in some ways interactive, easy to use and involve social media. Online shopping also makes it easy to pay for products.
A virtual mirror app like Dangle, supporters say, will enable stores to offer a huge number of products with many of the benefits of online shopping.
The MemoMi app lets stores collect information about its users. The information can include what products customers like, dislike and what they bought in the past. Many shopping websites already do this.
Stores hope that by using customer information, salespeople can make better suggestions to customers and sell more goods.
Gefrides believes that stores across the country will improve their businesses as these technologies improve.
"We always hear about the big store closings," said Gefrides. "But Intel sees technology becoming more important in providing customers with a better experience."
I'm Mario Ritter.
Tina Trinh reported this story for VOANews. Mario Ritter adapted her report for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.
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Words in This Story
apps (applications) – n. computer programs designed to do a specific task or related tasks
virtual – adj. online or digital, no real or physical
customers – n. anyone who pays for, "consumes," goods or services
otherwise – adv. in a different way
pair – n. two of something
expensive – adj. pricey, costly
augmented reality – n. pictures, video or other recordings of reality that also have something digital added to them to provide an "increased" experience
shopper – n. people who looking for things to buy
attract – v. to make someone interested in something
benefit – n. something that produces good or helpful effects
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3.For American Factory Towns, Loss of Good-Paying Jobs Hurts the Most
It is easy for people in Erie, Pennsylvania to blame their city’s economic problems on the loss of manufacturing jobs to China and Mexico.
Many Americans, including President Donald Trump1, believe that factory closures are the main issue facing aging manufacturing towns in the United States.
Since 2008, Erie has suffered a less-known and possibly more serious loss of well-paying, white-collar jobs. Half of the business leadership positions in Erie — 220 jobs — have disappeared. The city has lost 10 percent of its computer workers, 40 percent of its engineers and 20 percent of its lawyers. The Associated Press says that information comes from a study of government records.
All these jobs helped to support Erie’s manufacturing industry. And they are the kind of work that has increasingly become the base of the American economy.
The AP examined U.S. Department of Labor2 records dating to 2008. It found that a third of major cities — nearly 80 communities — are losing a greater percentage of white-collar jobs than blue-collar jobs.
In Ohio, cities such as Toledo and Canton have had a harder time keeping jobs in offices than on factory floors. The situation is similar in Sheboygan, Wisconsin; Wichita and Topeka, Kansas; in Birmingham, Alabama and Decatur, Illinois.
“That’s one of the most painful aspects of the economic decline of these manufacturing centers: They get hit twice,” said Enrico Moretti, an economist3 at the University of California, Berkeley. “First, they lose the factories. But second, and most importantly, they lose everyone who was supportive of those factories.”
Economists4 worry most about this second-level loss. They believe that cities need white-collar jobs to meet a new economy based on specialized5 knowledge and technological6 skill.
Higher-Paying Jobs Leaving Smaller U.S. Cities
During the 2016 election campaign, candidate Trump promised voters that he would bring factory jobs back to areas that had lost them. But the AP study shows how higher-paying jobs are leaving smaller cities, and a generation of workers are following. Such workers could create businesses or serve existing companies if they stayed.
The AP studied employment records by occupation from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. It then compared employment numbers for metropolitan7 areas with national averages. Jobs that were defined as white collar include supervisory, administrative8 and sales positions. Blue-collar occupations include production, machine operation and transportation positions.
White-collar workers are increasingly moving away from smaller cities and settling in fast-growing areas like Seattle, Nashville, Chicago and Silicon9 Valley. As those higher-paying occupations become centered in fewer places, the wealth they create is less likely to be passed along to cities with a history of manufacturing.
Making Erie More Appealing
In Erie, many business leaders say the city mainly needs to keep and create more white-collar jobs.
Its largest for-profit employer, Erie Insurance, recently repaired an old building where the U.S. National Guard kept arms and military equipment. The company has also been rebuilding old homes nearby, slowly turning part of the city into a business center.
In addition, Erie Insurance is leading a private $40 million effort to fill downtown Erie with stores and housing. It is hoping that the changes will appeal to other employers and college graduates.
For the company’s chief executive, the project is personal. Tim NeCastro has five adult children; only one has chosen to stay local.
“If this is successful, 10 years from now, two more of my kids will move to Erie,” he said. “They will find a reason to get back here.”
It is the same issue many small- and middle-size cities face. Children who left for college are mostly not returning home. Many young people are choosing to live in communities close to a major university, like Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 200 kilometers south of Erie.
In larger cities, it is easier for white-collar workers to make job changes that offer more money or possibilities for career development. This makes big cities appealing to younger professionals.
For example, Census10 Bureau records show that Chicago, Illinois, added nearly 40,000 college graduates under age 35 since the Great Recession began in late 2007. Boston, Massachusetts gained about 10,000. Denver, Colorado added 25,000.
However, in the same period, Toledo, Ohio lost 1,600 young college graduates.
In a 2016 campaign speech in Erie, Trump blamed unfair trade for the struggles facing communities across the country. He spoke11 about the North American Free Trade Agreement and the entrance of China into the World Trade Organization.
"We will stop these countries from taking our companies," Trump said.
The argument helped Trump, the Republican Party nominee12, win Erie County. It had voted for Democrat13 Barack Obama in both the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections. In the 13 months since Trump entered office, Erie has lost about 800 jobs. The number of people seeking jobs dropped by more than 2,000.
Trump has announced taxes on steel and aluminum14 imports in hopes of strengthening U.S. industry.
I'm Ashley Thompson. And I'm Caty Weaver15.
Words in This Story
white-collar – adj. of or related to office workers
blue-collar – adj. of or related to people who work in a factory
aspect – n. the way something appears; a part of something
decline – n. a process of becoming worse or weaken in condition
graduate – n. someone who completed a study program at a school, college or university
metropolitan – adj. of or relating to a large city as well as nearby cities and towns
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4. Successful People 'Take the World by Storm
Now, Words and Their Stories from VOA Learning English. Every week, we explore common expressions in American English.
Thunder storms. Rain storms. Snow storms. Electrical storms!
If conditions get bad enough, almost any kind of weather can become a storm.
Stormy weather can cause people to cancel their plans. It can cause major events to be postponed. And severe stormy weather can be dangerous to people, property and animals.
"Don't know why there's no sun up in the sky, stormy weather
since my man and I ain't together, keeps raining all the time."
Now, let's flip around the term "stormy weather."
If you weather the storm, or ride out the storm, you survive and move on without harm or injury. For example, let's talk about Tornado Alley, the name for part of the central United States.
This image taken from a car window shows a tornado in Oklahoma, May 9, 2016.
During springtime, this area often has a large number of powerful tornadoes. People who live there are taught to hunker down in the safest place they can find and wait for the storm to pass. People who live in Tornado Alley are used to weathering many storms!
You can also weather a storm, they doesn't involve actual weather.
"To weather the storm" can also mean to make it through a difficult experience or trying times. So, if the stock market crashes, you might have to weather a financial storm. If you are a politician who gets discredited in public, you may have to lie low and weather the political storm.
Often before a big storm, conditions are calm.
The calm before the storm can happen anytime. It is the time before something bad happens. For example, at the beginning of a family reunion, the adults were all talking happily. But the older children knew it was just the calm before the storm. They've seen it happen before. The adults talk happily for about an hour. Then they start arguing about events from the past -- things that should really stay buried!
But after the storm begins and you find yourself in the middle of it, you are in the eye of the storm.
In the world of weather, the eye of the storm is the calmest part, in the center of a hurricane, for example.
However, in the English language, if you are in the eye of the storm, you are in the most intense part of a conflict. For example, she had no idea that walking into the meeting would put her in the eye of the storm.
Now, a storm can cause great destruction, but it can also cause excitement. It's something people talk about.
If you want to give people something to talk about, you might want to use the following "storm" phrasal verb. Combining a verb with "up" and then the words "a storm" gives you a very useful phrasal verb. It means doing something to a great extent or degree.
For example, if you danced all night, you can say you danced up a storm. If you spend the whole month writing a book, you can say you wrote up a storm. If you are at a party and meet someone who won't keep quiet, you can say they are talking up a storm.
I think you get the idea.
Let's look again at the verb "to storm." It can also mean to attack. If soldiers storm a military base, they are attacking it. Used another way, you could say one storms into a place. We only do this when we are angry and/or full of purpose.
For example, if you find out that someone at the place where you work is making twice as much as you do while doing less work -- you might storm into your supervisor's office and demand a raise. But I would suggest that you call, make an appointment and calmly walk into the meeting.
There is another very useful expression involving the word "storm." But it has two very different meanings.
Taking something by storm can suggest a sudden, perhaps violent attack. For example, the police took the bank by storm and arrested the bank robbers.
But this term can be used in another way. "To take something by storm" can mean to have great and sudden success in a certain field. And that field can be just about anything.
Let's say you are a great cook and open a new restaurant. Everyone loves it and it quickly becomes a big success. You can then say you took the restaurant world by storm.
Or maybe you are a gifted violinist and perform in over 100 cities. Critics love you and they say you are taking the classical music world by storm.
So, taking something by storm is a good thing. But a perfect storm is not.
In the world of weather, a perfect storm is a violent storm that results from a rare combination of severe weather events. We can use this expression in other situations, but the meaning is the same. It's when a particularly bad or critical situation arises from several bad and usually unpredictable events.
Let's hear this one in an example.
You are going on a trip and you are very excited! You have no idea that a perfect storm is building to ruin your vacation. First, the city where you're going has an unexpected electrical outage. Then when you arrive you find that the airline has lost your luggage. And finally you discover that a person you really don't like is staying in the same hotel and wants to hang out the whole time!
There are other kinds of storms.
Firestorm is also another "storm" word that can used when talking about the weather and real life. An actual firestorm is a strong, damaging fire that often has tornado-like columns of fire.
In conversation, a "firestorm" is a violent outburst or disagreement that causes damage. For example, the movie star created a firestorm when she made comments about the political situation in her home country.
However, a brainstorm does not exist in the world of weather. To brainstorm means to try to solve a problem by talking with other people.
And that's Words and Their Stories for this week. I'm Anna Matteo.
And I'm Bryan Lynn.
And don't worry. If we have trouble thinking of an idea for the next program, we can always brainstorm with you!
"Riders on the storm, riders on the storm.
Into the house we're born, into this world we're thrown."
Anna Matteo wrote this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. This audio story features Ella Fitzgerald singing "Stormy Weather" and The Doors singing "Riders on the Storm."
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Words in This Story
flip – v. to change from one state, position, subject, etc., to another
hunker down – phrasal verb to lower the body to the ground by bending the legs : to stay in a place for a period of time to remain safe
degree – n. a step or stage in a process, course, or order of classification
column – n. something that is tall and thin in shape
And that's our program for today.Listen again tomorrow to learning English through stories from around the world. I am Johnathan Evans, and I'm Ashely Thompson.
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