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[Journal of Second Language Pronunciation 6:1] 2020
► pp. 12–38

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Aiming for advanced intelligibility and proficiency using mobile ASR

ORCiD logo with link | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Published online: 11 February 2020
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/jslp.18030.mro
Abstract
This experimental study aimed to determine the impact of mobile-based Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) in Gmail on intelligibility and proficiency, as well as whether any individual factors influenced learning outcomes. It focused on 26 Intermediate learners of French as a foreign language enrolled in two university courses geared towards the development of advanced oral skills but with different approaches to integrated instruction. It innovatively combined human-based and machine-based ratings within an ecological paradigm, following Levis, J. M. (2005). Changing contexts and shifting paradigms in pronunciation teaching. TESOL Quarterly 39(3), 369–377. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar intelligibility principle and Thomson, R. I., & Derwing, T. M. (2015). The effectiveness of L2 pronunciation instruction: A narrative review. Applied Linguistics, 36(3), 326–344. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar call for research that is readily useful for language instructors. Results show that ASR users significantly outperformed non-ASR users on intelligibility, particularly when exposed to instruction on spelling-to-sound patterns, and demonstrated the biggest growth in proficiency. Gender was also found to impact results. Pedagogical implications and venues for future research are offered.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Literature review
    • 2.1Intelligibility and proficiency
    • 2.2Technology
      • 2.2.1Ecological paradigm
      • 2.2.2ASR for L2 pronunciation
    • 2.3Design of experiment for research on L2 pronunciation
      • 2.3.1Pronunciation instruction
      • 2.3.2Speaking tasks
      • 2.3.3Human-based vs. machine-based ratings
      • 2.3.4Learners’ factors
  • 3.Research questions (RQ)
  • 4.Method
    • 4.1Participants
    • 4.2Experiment
    • 4.3Previous findings
    • 4.4Analyses
      • 4.4.1Intelligibility
      • 4.4.2Proficiency
      • 4.4.3Relationship between intelligibility and proficiency
      • 4.4.4Learners’ factors
  • 5.Results
    • 5.1Intelligibility
    • 5.2Proficiency
    • 5.3Relationship between intelligibility and proficiency
    • 5.4Learners’ factors
    • 5.5Summary of results
      • 5.5.1RQ1
      • 5.5.2RQ2
      • 5.5.3RQ3
      • 5.5.4RQ4
  • 6.Discussion
  • 7.Conclusion
  • References
References (36)
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