The present study focuses on determining whether automatic speech recognition (ASR) technology is reliable for improving English pronunciation to Iraqi EFL students. Non-native learners of English are generally concerned about improving their pronunciation skills, and Iraqi students face difficulties in pronouncing English sounds that are not found in their native language (Arabic). This study is concerned with ASR and its effectiveness in overcoming this difficulty. The data were obtained from twenty participants randomly selected from first-year college students at Al-Turath University College from the Department of English in Baghdad-Iraq. The students had participated in a two month pronunciation instruction course using ASR Eyespeak software. At the end of the pronunciation instruction course using ASR Eyespeak software, the students completed a questionnaire to get their opinions about the usefulness of the ASR Eyespeak in improving their pronunciation. The findings of the study revealed that the students found ASR Eyespeak software very useful in improving their pronunciation and helping them realise their pronunciation mistakes. They also reported that learning pronunciation with ASR Eyespeak enjoyable.
The impact of social media, such as Facebook in various fields including education is undeniable. The main objective of this study is to examine the effect of the interaction between students' learning styles and learning approaches on their achievements in the chemistry subject using the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) method through Facebook. The sample of this study consisted of 120 MARA College students, who were randomly selected to undergo PBL treatment via Facebook for nine weeks. This quantitative study used the 4×2 factorial experimental design. The main variables were the students' learning styles (visual, aural, reading-writing, and kinaesthetic) and learning approaches (surface learning and deep learning) as well as the interaction between both on their achievement in the final examination for chemistry subject. The two-Way ANOVA test results showed that the main effect of students' learning styles on their achievement in chemistry was significant across students' learning approach using PBL via Facebook. Furthermore, the Post-Hoc test had found that the mean for the reading-writing style of learning was significantly better than for other learning styles. Similarly, the main effect of learning approaches was also found to be significant across students' learning styles. It was found that the mean value for the deep learning approach was significantly higher than the mean value for the surface learning approach using the PBL method via Facebook. However, the effect of the interaction between these two independent variables (learning styles and learning approaches) on students' achievement was not significant.
It is undeniable that social media such as Facebook has such a great influence in all fields, including education. The main objective of this research is to study the interaction effects of the VARK learning style and students' learning approach on the development of their soft skills using the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) methods via Facebook in learning chemistry. The research sample consists of 120 Kolej MARA students who were randomly selected to undergo PBL via Facebook treatment for nine weeks. This quantitative research uses experiment design with descriptive and factorial 4x2 (Two-Way ANOVA) data analysis. The descriptive data analysis result finds that the problem-based learning method via Facebook is successful in developing soft skill elements such as communication skills, teamwork and leadership skills, problem-solving skills, self-ethics and moral worth, and continuous learning and information management skills. For the Two-Way ANOVA analysis, the main effects studied are the VARK learning style and the students' learning approach, as well as the interaction of the two towards the development of the students' soft skills after they were involved in problem-based learning method via Facebook. Test results show that the main effect of the VARK learning style on the development of their soft skills is insignificant across the students' learning approach using problem-based learning method via Facebook. The same goes for the main effect of the learning approach, which is also insignificant across the students' VARK learning style. The interaction effect between both free variables (VARK learning style and learning approach) on the development of soft skills is also found to be insignificant.
The use of technology, such as computer-assisted language learning (CALL), is used in teaching and learning in the foreign language classrooms where it is most needed. One promising emerging technology that supports language learning is automatic speech recognition (ASR). Integrating such technology, especially in the instruction of pronunciation in the classroom, is important in helping students to achieve correct pronunciation. In Iraq, English is a foreign language, and it is not surprising that learners commit many pronunciation mistakes. One factor contributing to these mistakes is the difference between the Arabic and English phonetic systems. Thus, the sound transformation from the mother tongue (Arabic) to the target language (English) is one barrier for Arab learners. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of using automatic speech recognition ASR EyeSpeak software in improving the pronunciation of Iraqi learners of English. An experimental research project with a pretest-posttest design is conducted over a one-month period in the Department of English at Al-Turath University College in Baghdad, Iraq. The ten participants are randomly selected first-year college students enrolled in a pronunciation class that uses traditional teaching methods and ASR EyeSpeak software. The findings show that using EyeSpeak software leads to a significant improvement in the students' English pronunciation, evident from the test scores they achieve after using EyeSpeak software.
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