Abstract

Individualized tutoring and feedback by trained language instructors are known to be optimal for language learning. Providing them is time-consuming and costly, however, and therefore not feasible for the majority of language learners. This applies particularly to pronunciation, where corrective feedback should ideally be synchronous, which makes it even more difficult to provide it adequately in the classroom. Recent systems for computer-assisted pronunciation training (CAPT) that make use of automatic speech recognition (ASR) offer new ways of providing tailored feedback on second language pronunciation. In this paper, we present our new project, My Pronunciation Coach, in which we are developing an ASR-based CAPT program that specifically caters to learners of English with Dutch as their mother tongue. The pronunciation coach software uses speech technology algorithms to detect pronunciation errors. Feedback on these errors is given through an interface in an easily understandable manner and remedial exercises are provided accordingly.