1. The sociocultural perspective to researching CAPT technology in the L2 speaking class for pronunciation training
Moustafa Amrate
Supervised by: Dr Irena Kuzborska
Cognitive research about CAPT
Why the social cultural perspective to study CAPT
Data collection
Introduction
The continuous development in the field of computer assisted pronunciation training (CAPT) enabled its various technologies to offer L2 learners an environment to practice their pronunciation in a fully automatic process through a self-paced training in addition to receiving instant personalized feedback (Cucchiarini et al, 2009). However, despite the fact that research literature in this area have continuously proven the high quality of this technology and the innovation it introduces to L2 pronunciation training, a little is known about its efficacy in the classroom environment where guidance from the teacher and authentic peer interaction are possible. Therefore, this research project is attempting to explore the pedagogy of using CAPT technology in the L2 speaking class as a mean to facilitate practicing prosody. The study will address two main issues:
The amount and quality of training CAPT technology provides for L2 learners in a collaborative environment.
L2 learners perception of pronunciation training with the CAPT technology in a classroom environment.
In attempting to do that, this study will adopt Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory as a theoretical perspective for this study. As oppose to the cognitive view, this theory allows the researcher to look at the CAPT technology from a different perspective by exploring its contribution in a collaborative environment characterized by guidance and interaction which can significantly affect the learning experience of L2 students.
CAPT research adopting the cognitive perspective has paid a considerable attention to different aspects of the technology and the extent to which they affect the learning of L2 pronunciation. Studies taking this theoretical view are largely statistical and value learning outcomes relying mostly on theories which originate from a cognitive background like Krashen’s (1977) input hypothesis and Schmidt’s (1990) noticing hypothesis. Consequently, this has led research in this area to focuse on two aspects of the ¨CAPT technology, namely: input and feedback.
Input: This research trend studies the influence of input provided by the CAPT technology on L2 learners’ pronunciation quality. An important empirical evidence to support the positive role of comprehensible input in CAPT based ASR pronunciation training can be found in Silke and Witt (1997), Tanner and Landon (2009) and Hardison (2005). These long term studies have showed that the right amount of input provided in CAPT training platforms can be effective in helping L2 learners’ develop their pronunciation in the target language.
Feedback: This research trend looked into the audio-visual feedback provided by the CAPT technologies and investigated the extent to which it is capable of making L2 learners notice the quality of their pronunciation. For example, Neri et al (2006), Engwall (2008) and Cucchiarini (2008) evaluated automatic feedback in a CAPT based ASR and showed that this technological feature can provide corrective feedback to L2 learners on the quality of their pronunciation and make L2 learner notice their pronunciation errors to a considerable extent despite the fact that it can never simulate a real teacher.
Taking a sociocultural perspective will help the researcher explore the pedagogy of using CAPT technology as a mean to teach L2 pronunciation in a classroom environment that support its majors principles, namely: interaction, collaboration , support and mediation.
The following is an example of how SCT principles can contribute the CAPT experience:
Interaction that characterize the classroom environment could significantly influence the learning experience of computer assisted pronunciation training.
Support and guidance provided by the teacher can play an important role in helping L2 learners use the CAPT technologies and make use of its potentials.
collaboration between learners can facilitate using the technology as more experienced learners transfer their skills and strategies to less experienced learners.
CAPT technology can play an important role in mediating L2 pronunciation lessons.
Before starting the training sessions, students will be asked to complete a pre-study questionnaire that will focus on their background and will also assess their attitudes towards computer assisted pronunciation training. During the training sessions, a camera and a Windows based screen recording software will be recording the classroom for the purpose of observation of the learning environment. After every session, students will be writing a 50 words as learning logs to describe their learning experience. By the end of the of the study, participants will be asked to fill out a post-study questionnaire for the purpose of assessing their perceptions about pronunciation training using the CAPT technology MyET. Six participants will also be chosen randomly to attend post-study interviews which will involve more open ended questions that will address their perceptions about pronunciation training using CAPT technology in the EFL classroom environment.
Hypotheses
Contribution of the study
1- Pronunciation training using CAPT in the classroom environment will affect positively the amount and quality of EFL learners’ pronunciation training.
2- Pronunciation training using CAPT technology in a classroom environment will affect positively the learning experience of EFL learners.
Shedding light on using the CAPT technology in a classroom environment by understanding how would it influence the amount and quality of pronunciation training.
Highlighting advantages and challenges on using the CAPT technology in the L2 speaking classroom environment.
Understanding how L2 learners perceive pronunciation using CAPT technology in a collaborative environment versus individual use.
Understanding how L2 learners perceive the CAPT technology in a collaborative environment as oppose to individual use.
The cognitive perspective to CAPT
Key principles of the Socio-cultural theory
Methodology
In CAPT research, a number of studies have employed the
cognitive approach when looking at computer assisted
pronunciation training. According to this view, CALL
technologies in general and CAPT in particular are a
tool that is supposed to provide L2 learners with a
suitable environment to develop their abilities in the
target language. This approach to investigate
computer assisted pronunciation training research
has largely focused on different aspects of the
technology and the extent to which they are capable
of simulating the mental processes like sensory
memory, working memory and long-term memory which
are fundamental for learning within this view.
All cognitive development, including language, is a result of social interactions between individuals.
Learners advance to higher levels when they collaborate with more knowledgeable individuals: teachers or advanced learners.
Zone of proximal development is the level of performance which a learner is capable of with support from interaction with a more advanced interlocutors.
Taking a sociocultural perspective, this study will explore the pedagogy of teaching pronunciation using CAPT technology in the EFL speaking classroom. The study will employ a pragmatic epistemology through which the researcher will make use of different data collection tools to investigate two main issues.
Firstly, the perception of EFL learners towards pronunciation training using CAPT technology in the language classroom.
Secondly, the contribution of CAPT technology in a collaborative classroom environment regarding the amount and quality of EFL pronunciation training.
16 EFL learners from Algeria with an intermediate language level divided on two groups of eight, a main group and a control group, will participate in the main study.
Treatment
The main group will be receiving pronunciation training using CAPT technology in a collaborative environment where each two students will be using one computer. The control group will be receiving pronunciation training using CAPT technology in an environment that will simulate individual use of the technology at home where every student will be using one computer.
Training sessions
The study will be held at an IT room in an Algerian university in which the teacher will use the CAPT technology MyET, a personalized speech led CALL software, for pronunciation training. Over the period of three weeks, four training sessions will focus on three sentence pronunciation features, namely: stress, rhythm and intonation.
Refernces
Engwall, O., Bälter, O., Öster, A. M., & Kjellström, H. (2006, April). Feedback management in the pronunciation training system ARTUR. InCHI'06 Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems (pp ). ACM.
Hardison, D. M. (2005). Contextualized computer-based L2 prosody training: Evaluating the effects of discourse context and video input. Calico Journal,
Moreno, R., & Mayer, R. (2007). Interactive multimodal learning environments. Educational Psychology Review, 19(3),
Neri, A., Cucchiarini, C., & Strik, H. (2006). ASR-based corrective feedback on pronunciation: does it really work?. In INTERSPEECH.
Neri, A., Cucchiarini, C., & Strik, H. (2008). The effectiveness of computer-based speech corrective feedback for improving segmental quality in L2 Dutch. ReCALL, 20(02),
Neisser, U. (1967). Cognitive psychology. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall.
Strik, H., Truong, K., De Wet, F., & Cucchiarini, C. (2009). Comparing different approaches for automatic pronunciation error detection. Speech Communication, 51(10),
Tanner, M. W., & Landon, M. M. (2009). The effects of computer-assisted pronunciation readings on ESL learners’ use of pausing, stress, intonation, and overall comprehensibility. Language Learning & Technology, 13(3),
Witt, S. M., & Young, S. J. (1997, September). Language learning based on non-native speech recognition. In Eurospeech.
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