This study addresses the issue of automatic pronunciation assessment (APA) and its contribution to the teaching of second language (L2) pronunciation. Several attempts have been made at designing such systems, and some have proven operationally successful. However, the automatic assessment of the pronunciation of short words in segmental…

Drawing on skill acquisition theory (DeKeyser, 2017) and the Information Feedforward and Feedback Loop model (de Bot, 1980), this study aimed to explore the effects of digital zoom technology as a visual reinforcement tool (VRT) in foreign language (FL) pronunciation instruction on learners' segmental production, and learners' attitudes toward and…

It is unclear whether corrective feedback (CF) provided by L2 computer-assisted pronunciation training (CAPT) tools must be 100% accurate to promote an acceptable level of improvement in pronunciation. Using a web-based interface, 30 native speakers of Chinese completed a pretest, a computer-based training session to produce nine sound contrasts…

This study investigates the effectiveness of a computer-assisted pronunciation training (CAPT) system on second language learners' acquisition of three grammatical features. It presents a CAPT system on top of a phoneme-based, fine-tuned speech recognition model, and is intended to deliver explicit, corrective feedback on the pronunciation of the…

This study examined the pedagogical use of Google Translate (GT) and its associated text-to-speech synthesis (TTS) and automatic speech recognition (ASR) as tools to assist in the learning of second/foreign language Dutch vocabulary and pronunciation in an autonomous, self-directed learning setting. Thirty participants used GT (its translation,…

The problem of cognitive overload is particularly pertinent in multimedia L2 classroom corrective feedback (CF), which involves rich communicative tools to help the class to notice the mismatch between the target input and learners' pronunciation. Based on multimedia design principles, this study developed a new multimodal CF model through…

This study explores the potential of the English File Pronunciation (EFP) app to help foreign language learners improve their pronunciation. Participants were 52 Spanish EFL learners enrolled in an English Studies degree. Pre- and post-tests were used to assess the participants' perception and production (imitative, controlled, and spontaneous)…

This is the first paper that provides correlational evidence about how interacting with an online allophonic transcription tool helps learners of English as a Second Language (ESL) to improve their phonological awareness. The study investigates 55 advanced ESL learners at a Polish university enrolled in a course in English phonetics and phonology.…

Many types of L2 phonological perception are often difficult to acquire without instruction. These difficulties with perception may also be related to intelligibility in production. Instruction on perception contrasts is more likely to be successful with the use of phonetically variable input made available through computer-assisted pronunciation…

This paper looks at the use of "Twitter" as a language teaching/learning tool. It describes the results of a study aimed at testing "Twitter's" effectiveness for pronunciation teaching. The purpose of the study was to determine whether "Twitter" can foster online participation and whether it may have a positive effect…