A Comparison Between Teacher-Led and Online Text-to-Speech Dictation for Students’ Vocabulary Performance

Abstract

Researchers have long supported the use of dictation as a test for language learners (Fountain & Nation, 2000), and dictation has been used as a test for learners of English as a foreign language (EFL). With the advantages of productive learning and reinforcing short-term memory, dictation is a commonly used technique to develop language skills, and it can be considered to be an assessment of foreign language learning (Kazazoğlu, 2013). However, the previous research has not fully explored how technology, such as text-to-speech (TTS), can be used in EFL classrooms. To address this issue, the researcher explored the use of traditional teacher-led dictation (TLD) and TTS dictation to compare the vocabulary performance of EFL learners. Forty-two college students participated in the study. The results indicated a significant difference between TTS and TLD on the participants’ vocabulary performance. Additionally, there was a correlation between the scores with TTS and TLD: the students who performed better with TLD also obtained higher grades with TTS. Based on the results, future studies and pedagogical suggestions are presented.

The Application of Text-to-Speech Technology in Language Learning

“…In the context of the learning process, Parr (2012) pointed out that text-to-speech runs the risk of stigmatizing students who are perceived to be different, who are privileged in the sense that they have a computer, or who are accused of cheating. Chiang (2019) found that students' perception is different with the improvement of their performance on learning. They seemed to strongly agree with the statement "The teacher is the role model for pronunciation in the classroom" because TTS technology is sometimes still very mechanical and does not sound emotional.…”

Text-To-Speech Software for Promoting EFL Freshman Students’ Decoding Skills and Pronunciation Accuracy

“…There was a correlation between TTS dictation and teacher-led dictation scores, i.e., students who performed better with teacherled dictation also obtained higher scores with TTS dictation (Chiang, 2019). In addition, students with learning disabilities who struggle with reading and comprehension benefit from TTS software when used as a supplement to explicit teacher instruction.…”

Dictation Software Development and its Application

“…There are numerous platforms that can be used to conduct the dictation in an online environment, but detailed analyses of the same reveal a number of shortcomings that make them impractical for further use in a classroom situation. Most of these platforms are based on the idea of converting text to speech, which is a technologically advanced alternative for reading text out loud in situations when the teacher is absent [5,6,7]; however, it is rather inconvenient to be used as a platform for conducting a writing activity such as dictation since the reading is continuous and has no characteristics of the traditional dictation reading (the example of such platforms are: Natural readers 1 and From text to speech 2 ). On the other hand, there are platforms such as Speechling 3 , DailyDictation 4 , and Listen and Write 5 that allow users to control the speed of dictation, insert the text for dictation and see corrections immediately after the dictation is completed; however, the limitations of these platforms are reflected in the inability of the teacher to see students' results -since these platforms' primary function is to support independent language learning outside of the classroom situation.…”