Development of foreign language speaking materials using speech recognition system and VR chatbot

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K00879
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 02100:Foreign language education-related
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: OMAE Tomomi 大阪大学, サイバーメディアセンター, 准教授 (00379108)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 渡邉 ゆきこ 沖縄大学, 人文学部, 教授 (60320529) ; 小渡 悟 沖縄国際大学, 産業情報学部, 准教授 (90369207)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 外国語教育 / ICT活用教育 / VR / 発音教育

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In general, it is difficult to develop practical conversational skills due to the input-oriented nature of e-learning materials and the lack of output materials and practice with them. To address this problem, in this study we developed ST Lab, a pronunciation learning software that enables learners to produce output independently in class and outside of class, and to acquire “understandable” pronunciation and practical communicative competence. ST Lab is currently in use at more than 45 educational institutions in Japan and abroad. After basic pronunciation learning, a VR space was prepared as a place for practical conversation practice, where learners gave presentations and practiced speaking with other learners to enhance the learning outcome.

Free Research Field

外国語教育

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では，外国語学習時の発話を引き出すきっかけとして「通じる」発音を目指した発音学習システムST Labの開発を行なった。これまでの発音教育が個々の教員の主観に頼らなければならなかったこと，発音教材を用意することの困難さをST Labにより，学習者自身が独習という形で発音を学ぶことを実現した。
ST Labの発音学習で自信をつけ，VR空間において会話練習を実践的に行う外国語教育環境を構築し，発話教育環境の改善を行なった。