ERIC Number: ED572156
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2016-Aug
Pages: 6
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
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EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Are Commercial "Personal Robots" Ready for Language Learning? Focus on Second Language Speech
Moussalli, Souheila; Cardoso, Walcir
Research-publishing.net, Paper presented at the EUROCALL 2016 Conference (23rd, Limassol, Cyprus, Aug 24-27, 2016)
Today's language classrooms are challenged with limited classroom time and lack of input, and output practice in a stress-free environment (Hsu, 2015). The use of commercial, readily available tools such as Personal Robots (PRs; e.g. Amazon's Echo, Jibo) might promote language learning by freeing up class time, allowing for a more focused personalized instruction, and giving learners more opportunities for input exposure and output practice in a stress-free environment. PRs are pedagogically valuable because of their built-in Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) software. This feasibility study investigates the pedagogical use of PRs as tools to extend the language classroom by combining it with traditional in-class, teacher-facilitated interactive practices. We evaluated a commercial PRs' ability to comprehend L2 speech, to provide "easy-to-understand" feedback, and to deliver accurate results for a set of pre-established questions. Using a survey and interviews, the results highlight the benefits of personalized, computer-mediated instruction as an approach to extend the reach of the classroom. As such, our study contributes to this under-studied area of Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL): the pedagogical use of personal robots in L2 education. [For the complete volume of short papers, see ED572005.]
Descriptors: Second Language Instruction, Educational Technology, Technology Uses in Education, Robotics, Teaching Methods, Audio Equipment, Computer Software, Automation, Program Effectiveness, Surveys, Questionnaires, Semi Structured Interviews, Females, Feasibility Studies, Attitude Measures, Likert Scales
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Publication Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A