Abstract:

Speaking is at the heart of second language learning but has been somewhat ignored in teaching and testing for a number of logistical reasons. Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) can give speaking a central role in language instruction. This article describes plans and efforts to shape speech-interactive Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) programs. Current proficiency guidelines provide a practical framework for this development. Although questions and challenges remain, current implementations of ASR provide some solutions now, and on-going research holds great promise for future implementations.

Author: Kathleen B. Egan