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Language learning is a multimodal endeavor; to improve their pronunciation in a new language, learners access not only auditory information about speech sounds and patterns, but also visual information about articulatory movements and processes. With the development of new technologies in computer-assisted pronunciation training (CAPT) comes new possibilities for delivering feedback in both auditory and visual modalities. The present paper surveys the literature on computer-assisted visual articulation feedback, including direct feedback that provides visual models of articulation and indirect feedback that uses visualized acoustic information as a means to inform articulation instruction. Our focus is explicitly on segmental features rather than suprasegmental ones, with visual feedback conceived of as providing visualizations of articulatory configurations, movements, and processes. In addition to discussing types of visual articulation feedback, we also consider the criteria for effective delivery of feedback, and methods of evaluation.

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This study contrasts different instructional reinforcements in the teaching of phonetics, i.e., learning tasks that supplement a classroom lecture on a phonetic contrast. 152 introductory linguistics students were split into four groups, each of which received the same lecture but a different instructional reinforcement, as follows: (1) a baseline textbook-style handout explaining the contrast, (2) classroom production practice, repeating after an instructor in unison, (3) pairwise production practice, in which students practice contrasts and give each other feedback, and (4) watching enhanced ultrasound videos illustrating the contrast [1]. Students were given a quiz evaluating their comprehension of the places of articulation and their perception of the contrast immediately after the activities and again one week later. We found that there were no large differences between the groups. While phonetics learning is argued to be improved through student engagement [2, 3, 4], interactivity [5], and pairwise practice [6], group 4 did not receive any of these but nevertheless performed as well as the other groups. We conclude that reinforcement using non-interactive enhanced ultrasound videos can be as effective as traditional classroom reinforcements at teaching phonetic contrasts.

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