User Experiences from L2 Children Using a Speech Learning Application: Implications for Developing Speech Training Applications for Children

Maria Uther,Katja Junttila,Seppo Enarvi,Mikko Kurimo,Anna-Riikka Smolander,Reima Karhila,Sari Ylinen

doi:10.1155/2018/7345397

Abstract

We investigated user experiences from 117 Finnish children aged between 8 and 12 years in a trial of an English language learning programme that used automatic speech recognition (ASR). We used measures that encompassed both affective reactions and questions tapping into the children' sense of pedagogical utility. We also tested their perception of sound quality and compared reactions of game and nongame-based versions of the application. Results showed that children expressed higher affective ratings for the game compared to nongame version of the application. Children also expressed a preference to play with a friend compared to playing alone or playing within a group. They found that assessment of their speech is useful although they did not necessarily enjoy hearing their own voices. The results are discussed in terms of the implications for user interface (UI) design in speech learning applications for children.

Highlights

We investigated user experiences from 117 Finnish children aged between 8 and 12 years in a trial of an English language learning programme that used automatic speech recognition (ASR)
This study investigated child user experiences from a gamebased language learning application that used automatic speech recognition (ASR) technology
The classifier results are fed into a Support Vector Machine (SVM) scoring regressor which outputs a 0-100 score, which is further mapped into a rejection or a 1-5 star score

Summary

Introduction

This study investigated child user experiences from a gamebased language learning application that used automatic speech recognition (ASR) technology. The technology behind the application is designed for both computers and tablets and uses ASR components for the assessment of children’s speech produced while learning new words in a new, nonnative language. The use of automatic speech recognition engines in children is challenging [7, 8], but the use of ASR to aid foreign language learning is a venture that poses even further challenges and is still a field that is underdeveloped [7,8,9,10,11]. The game is designed to produce a score computed using speech recognition technology after each utterance. We used gamification since it has been suggested that this lends itself to more situated learning and a more immersive, engaging experience, which can be helpful within the language learning context (see [12,13,14] for a review)

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion