<i>Interactive pronunciation training</i>

Menzel, Wolfgang; Herron, Daniel; Morton, Rachel; Pezzotta, Dario; Bonaventura, Patrizia; Howarth, Peter

doi:10.1017/s0958344001000714

Cited by 18 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…Finally, we plan to integrate speech recognition technology with animated graphic annotations and immediate visual feedback in JCALL programs for use in future research projects. A recent report aimed at integrating speech recognition technology into a pronunciation training system shows that speech recognition technology can be used to considerable advantage to improve the quality and detail of feedback given to students (Menzel, Herron, Morton, Pezzota, Bonaventura, & Howarth, 2001). We believe that the combination of AGA, IVF, and speech recognition technology will go far in enhancing pronunciation training in second/foreign language learning.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 97%

Effect of Animated Graphic Annotations and Immediate Visual Feedback in Aiding Japanese Pronunciation Learning

Hew

Ohki

2013

CALICO

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This study examines the effectiveness of imagery and electronic visual feedback in facilitating students' acquisition of Japanese pronunciation skills. The independent variables, animated graphic annotation (AGA) and immediate visual feedback (IVF) were integrated into a Japanese computer-assisted language learning (JCALL) program focused on the pronunciation of specific word pairs. Students enrolled in an elementary Japanese course in Malaysia were randomly divided into three groups and used three different versions of the program: (a) text + sound, (b) text + audio + AGA, and (c) text + audio + IVF. The results of the study showed that students in the text + audio + AGA group significantly outperformed students in the text + audio only group in pretest-posttest improvement in learning the pronunciation of (a) akusento 'pitch' words, (b) seion 'voiceless' and dakuon 'voiced' words and (c) tanon 'short vowel,' chouon 'long vowel,' and sokuon 'geminate consonants' words. Students in the text + audio +IVF group significantly outperformed students in the text + audio only group in learning akusento words and seion and dakuon words. There were no significant differences between the AGA and IVF groups.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 97%

Effect of Animated Graphic Annotations and Immediate Visual Feedback in Aiding Japanese Pronunciation Learning

Hew

Ohki

2013

CALICO

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“…The research community has since moved on to creating small context free grammars (CFGs) [4,3,23,32], whose low perplexity ensures robust recognition. Such systems allow the user to have short conversations in small domains, thus providing environments for language learning grounded in current theories of second language acquisition.…”

Section: Automatic Speech Recognition For Second Language Acquisitionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Speech-enabled card games for incidental vocabulary acquisition in a foreign language

McGraw

Yoshimoto

Seneff

2009

Speech Communication

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In this paper, we present a novel application for speech technology to aid students with vocabulary acquisition in a foreign language through interactive card games. We describe a generic platform for card game development and then introduce a particular prototype card game called Word War, designed for learning Mandarin Chinese. We assess the feasibility of deploying Word War via the Internet by conducting our first user study remotely and evaluating the performance of the speech recognition component. It was found that the three central concepts in our system were recognized with an error rate of 16.02%. We then turn to assessing the effects of the Word War game on vocabulary retention in a controlled environment. To this end, we performed a user study using two variants of the Word War game: a speaking mode, in which the user issues spoken commands to manipulate the game cards, and a listening mode, in which the computer gives spoken directions that the students must follow by manipulating the cards manually with the mouse. These two modes of learning were compared against a more traditional computer assisted vocabulary learning system: an on-line flash cards program. To assess long term learning gains as a function of time-on-task, we had the students interact with each system twice over a period of three weeks. We found that all three systems were competitive in terms of the vocabulary words learned as measured by pre-tests and post-tests, with less than a 5% difference among the systems' average overall learning gains. We also conducted surveys, which indicated that the students enjoyed the speaking mode of Word War more than the other two systems.

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“…The role of automated speech recognition technology in CALL programs has been explored for more than a decade, having been used for pronunciation practice in CALL programs [26][27][28][29] or to help learners with their fluency or conversation skills [16,[30][31][32][33]. Many CALL programs which utilise speech recognition technology for language learning are based on strategies where the learner selects their (spoken) response from a finite list offered by the CALL program itself.…”

Section: Speech Recognition In Callmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interactive Language Learning through Speech-Enabled Virtual Scenarios

Morton

Gunson

Jack

2012

Advances in Human-Computer Interaction

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This paper describes the evaluation of an educational game designed to give learners of foreign languages the opportunity to practice their spoken language skills. Within the speech interactive Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) program, scenarios are presented in which learners interact with virtual characters in the target language using speech recognition technology. Two types of interactive scenarios with virtual characters are presented as part of the game: the one-to-one scenarios which take the form of practice question and answer scenarios where the learner interacts with one virtual character and the interactive scenario which is an immersive contextualised scenario where the learner interacts with two or more virtual characters within the scene to complete a (task-based) communicative goal. The study presented here compares learners' subjective attitudes towards the different scenarios. In addition, the study investigates the performance of the speech recognition component in this game. Forty-eight students of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) took part in the evaluation. Results indicate that learners' subjective ratings for the contextualised interactive scenario are higher than for the one-to-one, practice scenarios. In addition, recognition performance was better for these interactive scenarios.

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Interactive pronunciation training

Cited by 18 publications

References 2 publications

Effect of Animated Graphic Annotations and Immediate Visual Feedback in Aiding Japanese Pronunciation Learning

Effect of Animated Graphic Annotations and Immediate Visual Feedback in Aiding Japanese Pronunciation Learning

Speech-enabled card games for incidental vocabulary acquisition in a foreign language

Interactive Language Learning through Speech-Enabled Virtual Scenarios

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