Using apps for pronunciation training: An empirical evaluation of the English File Pronunciation app

This study explores the potential of the English File Pronunciation (EFP) app to help foreign language learners improve their pronunciation. Participants were 52 Spanish EFL learners enrolled in an English Studies degree. Pre- and post-tests were used to assess the participants’ perception and production (imitative, controlled, and spontaneous) before and after training. The targets addressed were a range of segmental features that tend to be fossilised in the interlanguage of advanced Spanish EFL learners, namely English /æ ɑː ʌ ə/ and the /s – z/ contrast. Training took place over a period of two weeks in which participants used the English File pronunciation app for around 20 minutes a day. Participants were randomly assigned to two groups (control and experimental). However, after the post-test, the group that had acted as control started to receive instruction and, after two weeks, took a second post-test, therefore acting as experimental too. Training fostered substantial improvements in the learners’ perception and production of the target features, although the differences between groups were not statistically significant for every sound or in every task

Does training with amplitude modulated tones affect tone-vocoded speech perception?

Temporal-envelope cues are essential for successful speech perception. We asked here whether training on stimuli containing temporal-envelope cues without speech content can improve the perception of spectrally-degraded (vocoded) speech in which the temporal-envelope (but not the temporal fine structure) is mainly preserved. Two groups of listeners were trained on different amplitude-modulation (AM) based tasks, either AM detection or AM-rate discrimination (21 blocks of 60 trials during two days, 1260 trials; frequency range: 4Hz, 8Hz, and 16Hz), while an additional control group did not undertake any training. Consonant identification in vocoded vowel-consonant-vowel stimuli was tested before and after training on the AM tasks (or at an equivalent time interval for the control group). Following training, only the trained groups showed a significant improvement in the perception of vocoded speech, but the improvement did not significantly differ from that observed for controls. Thus, we do not find convincing evidence that this amount of training with temporal-envelope cues without speech content provide significant benefit for vocoded speech intelligibility. Alternative training regimens using vocoded speech along the linguistic hierarchy should be explored

Strengths and Limitations of SmallTalk2Me App in English Language Proficiency Evaluation

This paper explores the strengths and limitations of the SmallTalk2Me App, an AI-driven language assessment tool, in evaluating English language proficiency. The study adopts a mixed-method approach, combining interviews with three experienced English teachers and a comprehensive literature review to provide a comprehensive analysis of the app's performance. The research begins with an exploration of the app's strengths, which include its objective and consistent evaluation metrics. The app's automated nature ensures that all test takers are assessed based on the same predefined criteria, reducing human bias and enhancing the reliability of evaluations. Also, it offers immediate feedback, allowing learners to identify their areas of improvement promptly and adapt their learning strategies accordingly. Conversely, the limitations of the SmallTalk2Me App are also discussed. One notable limitation is the challenge of replicating the complexity of real-life communication contexts. App-based assessments may not fully capture the intricacies of natural conversations. Additionally, the app's pronunciation assessment may struggle with accurately recognizing variations in accents and speech patterns, leading to potential inaccuracies in pronunciation evaluation. The insights from the interviews and literature review contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the app's performance, offering valuable implications for its effective use in language teaching and learning settings

Speech generating devices for children : a guide for parents and caregivers

Children with severe communication deficits often need alternative methods to supplement existing speech or replace speech that is not functional. Research indicates that augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) methods can improve communicative function in low or nonverbal children. A prevalent form of AAC is the Speech-Generating Device (SGD), which produces synthesized or recorded speech. Numerous SGDs, downloadable applications, and accessories are on the market alongside a vast array of published literature. As a result, it is difficult for parents to educate themselves when considering an SGD for their child. This paper will serve as a guide to help parents understand SGDs and the ways in which they may benefit their child.Communication Sciences and Disorder

Mobile Learning Revolution: Implications for Language Pedagogy

Mobile technologies including cell phones and tablets are a pervasive feature of everyday life with potential impact on teaching and learning. “Mobile pedagogy” may seem like a contradiction in terms, since mobile learning often takes place physically beyond the teacher's reach, outside the walls of the classroom. While pedagogy implies careful planning, mobility exposes learners to the unexpected. A thoughtful pedagogical response to this reality involves new conceptualizations of what is to be learned and new activity designs. This approach recognizes that learners may act in more self-determined ways beyond the classroom walls, where online interactions and mobile encounters influence their target language communication needs and interests. The chapter sets out a range of opportunities for out-of-class mobile language learning that give learners an active role and promote communication. It then considers the implications of these developments for language content and curricula and the evolving roles and competences of teachers

Performing WeChat Recording Tasks in Mixed-Ability Study Abroad Content Courses

This case study explores the use of WeChat’s recording tool as a solution to the challenges of teaching mixed-ability students in content courses offered in study abroad programs. The tool successfully reduced anxiety and boredom, created opportunities for students to engage in personalized learning tasks in real time, enabled instructors to provide individualized feedback, and helped course curriculums stay on track. Data was collected from an online survey, email interview, and students’ recordings of topics and instructor’s feedback. The study determined that using WeChat’s recording function to complete linguistic tasks is a useful instructional tool for a mixed-ability classes in study abroad, despite limited technical difficulties

Innovating Language Education: An NMC Horizon Project Strategic Brief

The NMC is a leading educational technology organization. A main outcome of the collaboration between the Language Flagship Technology Innovation Center and the NMC was this publication, which highlights recommendations that emerged from discussions of major trends, challenges, and technology developments by experts and practitioners in language technologies in higher education. Innovating Language Education identifies main trends and areas of interest and constitutes a rich resource that includes key definitions and proofs of concept

The Effects of a Digital Articulatory Game on the Ability to Perceive Speech-Sound Contrasts in Another Language

Digital and mobile devices enable easy access to applications for the learning of foreign languages. However, experimental studies on the effectiveness of these applications are scarce. Moreover, it is not understood whether the effects of speech and language training generalize to features that are not trained. To this end, we conducted a four-week intervention that focused on articulatory training and learning of English words in 6-7-year-old Finnish-speaking children who used a digital language-learning game app Pop2talk. An essential part of the app is automatic speech recognition that enables assessing children's utterances and giving instant feedback to the players. The generalization of the effects of such training in English were explored by using discrimination tasks before and after training (or the same period of time in a control group). The stimuli of the discrimination tasks represented phonetic contrasts from two non-trained languages, including Russian sibilant consonants and Mandarin tones. We found some improvement with the Russian sibilant contrast in the gamers but it was not statistically significant. No improvement was observed for the tone contrast for the gaming group. A control group with no training showed no improvement in either contrast. The pattern of results suggests that the game may have improved the perception of non-trained speech sounds in some but not all individuals, yet the effects of motivation and attention span on their performance could not be excluded with the current methods. Children's perceptual skills were linked to their word learning in the control group but not in the gaming group where recurrent exposure enabled learning also for children with poorer perceptual skills. Together, the results demonstrate beneficial effects of learning via a digital application, yet raise a need for further research of individual differences in learning.Peer reviewe