Social assistive robot assistants (SARAs), such as Temi, can offer opportunities for interactive and collaborative language learning, supporting children's learning through visual and auditory information. These robots blend the abilities of social robots, which can engage with humans through conversation and social actions, with assistive robots that aid in completing particular tasks or offering assistance in daily tasks. In particular, compared to computers and smartphones, SARAs have the advantage of possessing tangible bodies for more natural interaction. The purpose of this study aimed to identify the need for age-specific adaptations in the game and Temi’s features via co-designing a game together with the children and testing it.

The study involved 20 Estonian-speaking children aged 3 to 7, focusing on English language learning through an innovative game. The game was played on a smartboard, allowing multiple children to participate simultaneously. As the children played the game on the smartboard, making matches, they would then run to Temi, to complete the task. For the younger children, this required physically pressing the corresponding object on Temi's tablet screen. Temi would then lead the child to the actual object in the classroom, such as a table, chair, whiteboard, window, or door. For older children, the interaction was more advanced; they could give verbal commands to Temi, like “Hey Temi, could you go to the door?” and Temi would move to the specified object. This advanced feature proved too complex for the younger children, highlighting the need for age-specific adaptations in interactions with SARAs. The use of the smartboard facilitated group engagement and made the game more dynamic, while the interactions with Temi provided a tangible, interactive element to reinforce language learning and spatial concepts.

Data collection was achieved through several observation methods, involving video and photo recordings and observation sheets. Parental consent was obtained for all participants. Results indicated that children preferred Temi operating at its fastest mode, where they had to press objects on Temi's tablet screen, prompting Temi to lead them to various classroom objects (table, chair, whiteboard, window, door). The children favored Temi facing towards the objects rather than them, enhancing their sense of being guided. In addition, Temi's pronunciation and written display of object names aided in memory retention and learning.

The study shows promise for enhancing language learning and engagement among young children through interactive and collaborative experiences with SARAs like Temi. This innovative approach with its engaging format has the potential to improve language retention and motivation. Future research should include a larger, more diverse sample and conduct long-term studies to evaluate sustained effects on language learning and engagement. Testing in multiple environments, to assess the robot's adaptability. Developing more age-specific interaction designs and expanding educational content can enhance learning experiences. Investigating the role of educators in facilitating interactions with SARAs is also important.

Keywords: Social robot, robot assistant, technology-enhanced education, language learning, primary education.