2019 Fiscal Year Research-status Report
Measuring the extent speech-to-text functionality aids speaking fluency (breakdown & speed-fluency) in EFL learners using a mobile assisted language learning app
| Project/Area Number |
19K00803
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| Research Institution | Tokai University |
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Principal Investigator |
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
ボビー ヒロユキ 九州産業大学, 語学教育研究センター, 准教授 (20536247)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
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| Keywords | STT / speed fluency / breakdown fluency / speaking fluency |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
The majority of our time in the first year was working on Phase 1 which included original content creation and modifying an existing app from a previous project. With our current system we are able to monitor and quantify the behaviour and learning characteristics of each participant, which was impossible to this degree in the past without recent technological advances. We have created several learning activities which have been prototyped and are ready for inclusion in the current experiment. Each activity can now be done by speaking the language content using STT technology. This functionality is almost completed as well as with new learning content which includes graphics and audio recordings for all text. The activities include an activity that allows students to listen to the target sentence as many times as necessary and then repeat it using speech to text technology. The users spoken words appear on the screen for immediate feedback.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
3: Progress in research has been slightly delayed.
Reason
In the first year of a four year project, we were working on the data collection system which includes an SQL database connected to an app. The backend database required custom scripts that worked in conjunction with the app. This took several months longer than expected since we needed to finalize the restructuring of the app first. We added speech to text technology to an existing app and needed to complete work on this before we could finish the work on the database. We completed 80% of the planned work and will complete the remainder of the data collection setup in the first half of the second year.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
We will continue with completing the data collection setup that was started in the first year and move on to phase 2 of the planned experiment. During this phase, we will pilot the system and use the data to quantify the speech characteristics of participants using speed-fluency and breakdown fluency measures. Participants will record pre and post utterances. The treatment will include either 5, 10, or 20 hours of engagement with the STT English learning app. Additional learning behaviors such as time of day, session duration, scores, and other play metrics will be collected. Any modifications to content or research design will be made at this time.
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| Causes of Carryover |
Some of the work planned for the first year was delayed and will be completed in the second year. This work will be outsourced to a company that helps us with advanced coding and sever database work. For this reason, we have held some funds back so that we can use it for the payment of that work.
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