Abstract
This paper investigates the English pronunciation skills and its integration with other language skills when adopting the computer-assisted curriculum design. And it further explores the effectiveness of the Speech Recognition System (SRS) that was incorporated into a traditional English pronunciation class in China. During the course of this study, English majors who completed the SRS procedure for one year were examined in discrete aspects for the relationship between their reading aloud proficiency and language proficiency. The results show that the experimental groups with the SRS reading system curriculum design showed great effectiveness in improving learners’ reading aloud proficiency. As compared with traditional training methods for English oral reading, the computer-assisted form of oral training improved the students’ listening, pronunciation, reading, and writing skills. The SRS system also was found to be conducive to enhancing students’ interest in language learning and in cultivating their acceptance of self-directed learning.
Highlights
Well-established technologies, together with the use of personal computers, have become more and more popular in countries that study English as a foreign language (FL)
As our research investigates predictors of reading aloud ability when using learning software, it is important to briefly outline the status quo of reading aloud studies and the current trends in Computer-assisted Language Learning (CALL)
The Pearson’s correlation coefficient was 0.341 between the proficiency test and placement test, while the level of significance reached 0.01. These results show that the result of the reading aloud proficiency test was significantly related to the English proficiency test
Summary
Well-established technologies, together with the use of personal computers, have become more and more popular in countries that study English as a foreign language (FL). The reader activates a detailed knowledge of the language including word collocation, sentence structure, cohesion, rhythm, speed, accent, and intonation patterns. In the process, this knowledge becomes practical and contributes to the integration of overall English proficiency. Reading Assistant, an SRS developed by the American Scientific Learning Company, employs language learning theory to improve learners’ pronunciation competence through imitation and reading aloud. It helps to develop language skills by integrating vocabulary and grammar. The articles included in the system support variations in the pronunciation ability of males and females of all ages
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