A Computerized Diagnostic Language Assessment of Japanese EFL Learners' Spoken Requesting

2023 Fiscal Year Research-status Report

• Project/Area Number: 23K00773
• Research Institution: The University of Aizu
• Principal Investigator: Nicholas Allan 会津大学, コンピュータ理工学部, 上級准教授 (50811048)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): Mozgovoy Maxim 会津大学, コンピュータ理工学部, 上級准教授 (60571776) ; BLAKE John 会津大学, コンピュータ理工学部, 上級准教授 (80635954)
• Project Period (FY): 2023-04-01 – 2026-03-31
• Keywords: pragmatics / pragmatic failure / speaking

Outline of Annual Research Achievements

This year, we have made a number of achievements relating to the project. The initial phase of the project involves creating a corpus of learner oral requesting in English with varying interlocutor types. This is to see how learners' oral requests might vary depending on who their interlocutor is. We collected the oral data and transcribed it so that it could be analysed. We created two coding schemes for the text data analysis, one for identifying pragmatic features, and one for identifying instances of pragmatic failure, and manually applied the coding to the corpus texts. This coding was then analysed for patterns in learner oral requesting that will inform development of the software. The patterns were identified and summarised for use in the next project phase.

Current Status of Research Progress

2: Research has progressed on the whole more than it was originally planned.

Reason

The initial phase of the project is to collect oral requesting data, create coding schemes that allow us to identify pragmatic features of learner oral requesting and also instances of pragmatics failure, and manually annotate the corpus text data for these aspects. This work is essential for the next phase of the project, which is to begin developing the computerised dynamic assessment programme, which will auotmatically identify pragmatic failure in learner oral requests and provide feedback. We were able to complete this initial phase of the project.

Strategy for Future Research Activity

We plan to build upon the work we completed in the first phase of the project. In the first phase, we created a corpus of learner oral requests, applied coding schemes to the data that allowed us to identify patterns of pragmatic failure in the target learners' requesting. Following this we will use this to begin the development process of the dynamic assessment programme. We will begin the development of the various aspects of the programme, including the automatic voice recognition functionality, development of the computerised interlocutor that learners will interact with, and begin developing the automated feedback system that will promote learner development. We plan to carry out prototyping and testing of the software.

Causes of Carryover

In the first year of the current project, we travelled for disbursement of findings less than originally intended, as our project plans evolved to some extent. We focused primarily on the development of the corpus, the creation and development of the coding scheme to be used for annotation of the corpus texts, and other foundational work that will allow us to proceed with the computerised dynamic assessment software development phase. We expect these travelling expenditure needs to increase in the second and third years of the project, and so we intend to carry over the amount to the following year. Additionally, as we focused on corpus creation and analysis, less assistance was required than originally anticipated in the original plan. This need will be increased in the second and third years of the project.