Abstract
The present study focuses on determining whether automatic speech recognition (ASR) technology is reliable for improving English pronunciation to Iraqi EFL students. Non-native learners of English are generally concerned about improving their pronunciation skills, and Iraqi students face difficulties in pronouncing English sounds that are not found in their native language (Arabic). This study is concerned with ASR and its effectiveness in overcoming this difficulty. The data were obtained from twenty participants randomly selected from first-year college students at Al-Turath University College from the Department of English in Baghdad-Iraq. The students had participated in a two month pronunciation instruction course using ASR Eyespeak software. At the end of the pronunciation instruction course using ASR Eyespeak software, the students completed a questionnaire to get their opinions about the usefulness of the ASR Eyespeak in improving their pronunciation. The findings of the study revealed that the students found ASR Eyespeak software very useful in improving their pronunciation and helping them realise their pronunciation mistakes. They also reported that learning pronunciation with ASR Eyespeak enjoyable.
Highlights
Technological evolution must develop at a fast pace to operate in today's progressive work environments
Computer-assisted pronunciation training (CAPT) was created to aid scholars in improving their English pronunciation skills using the technical measures of computer-assisted language learning (CALL)
The findings of the study revealed that most of the students responded positively towards the usefulness of Automated speech recognition (ASR) (Eyespeak) software in improving their English pronunciation; 65% of the students reported that using the software improved their pronunciation and helped them recognise mispronounced English words
Summary
Technological evolution must develop at a fast pace to operate in today's progressive work environments. Using ASR software gives the students the opportunity to hear and practice the sounds of the English language It provides the students with individual practise, feedback, and immediate correction. The software used in this study to measure the usefulness of ASR in improving Iraqi students’ English pronunciation was Eyespeak This ASR software has some features that may help students improve their pronunciation that include: (a) listening to the native speaker pronunciation, (b) allowing the students to record their own pronunciation and compare it with the native speaker pronunciation, (c) providing immediate feedback and showing the student's mistakes with an explanation of the mispronunciation, (d) delivering a variety of feedback forms such as showing an animated sound wavelength that compares the student’s pronunciation with the native speaker pronunciation and an animated side figure of human speech organs, which shows the place of articulation for each sound
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
