Por favor, use este identificador para citar o enlazar este ítem:http://uvadoc.uva.es/handle/10324/43663
Título
Design and evaluation of mobile computer-assisted pronunciation training tools for second language learning
Autor
Director o Tutor
Año del Documento
2020
Titulación
Doctorado en Informática
Resumo
The quality of speech technology (automatic speech recognition, ASR, and textto-
speech, TTS) has considerably improved and, consequently, an increasing number
of computer-assisted pronunciation (CAPT) tools has included it. However, pronunciation
is one area of teaching that has not been developed enough since there
is scarce empirical evidence assessing the effectiveness of tools and games that include
speech technology in the field of pronunciation training and teaching. This
PhD thesis addresses the design and validation of an innovative CAPT system for
smart devices for training second language (L2) pronunciation. Particularly, it aims
to improve learner’s L2 pronunciation at the segmental level with a specific set of
methodological choices, such as learner’s first and second language connection (L1–
L2), minimal pairs, a training cycle of exposure–perception–production, individualistic
and social approaches, and the inclusion of ASR and TTS technology. The
experimental research conducted applying these methodological choices with real
users validates the efficiency of the CAPT prototypes developed for the four main
experiments of this dissertation. Data is automatically gathered by the CAPT systems
to give an immediate specific feedback to users and to analyze all results. The
protocols, metrics, algorithms, and methods necessary to statistically analyze and
discuss the results are also detailed. The two main L2 tested during the experimental
procedure are American English and Spanish. The different CAPT prototypes designed
and validated in this thesis, and the methodological choices that they implement,
allow to accurately measuring the relative pronunciation improvement of the
individuals who trained with them. Both rater’s subjective scores and CAPT’s objective
scores show a strong correlation, being useful in the future to be able to assess
a large amount of data and reducing human costs. Results also show an intensive
practice supported by a significant number of activities carried out. In the case of the
controlled experiments, students who worked with the CAPT tool achieved better
pronunciation improvement values than their peers in the traditional in-classroom
instruction group. In the case of the challenge-based CAPT learning game proposed,
the most active players in the competition kept on playing until the end and
achieved significant pronunciation improvement results.
Materias (normalizadas)
Reconocimiento automático de voz
Pronunciación
Materias Unesco
33 Ciencias Tecnológicas
Departamento
Departamento de Informática (Arquitectura y Tecnología de Computadores, Ciencias de la Computación e Inteligencia Artificial, Lenguajes y Sistemas Informáticos)
Idioma
eng
Tipo de versión
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
Derechos
openAccess
Aparece en las colecciones
- Tesis doctorales UVa [2304]
Arquivos deste item
![Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 Internacional](/themes/Mirage2//images/creativecommons/cc-by-nc-nd.png)