Nao" - a cute robot manufactured in the appearance of a child - would also be accompanied by a tablet to assist the child in learning German with supporting material, such as illustrations.
"We program the robot so that it can interact with the child, so that the child is as well supported as possible," said Kirsten Bergmann from the Bielefeld research group.
The project is expected to run for some three years as scientists test the robots' ability to effectively teach the notoriously difficult language to newcomers, with the first batch being dispatched to classrooms within 18 months.