Abstract:

Rapid advances in speech recognition technology have opened up new possibilities in computer-assisted language learning (CALL). From our perspectives as language teacher and applications developer (respectively), we review three levels of speech-interactive learning activities in selected commercial products: activities for vocabulary development, conversational practice, and pronunciation. Our review suggests that the effectiveness of speech-interactive CALL is determined less by the capabilities of the speech recognizer than by (a) the design of the language learning activity and feedback, and (b) the inclusion of repair strategies to safeguard against recognizer error.

Author: Krystyna A. Wachowicz, Brian Scott