Design of a speech training method using VR technology for transferring articulation and sound symbols of native English speakers

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K19936
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 62030:Learning support system-related
• Research Institution: Kyushu University (2022); The University of Tokyo (2020-2021)
• Principal Investigator: Fukushima Shogo 九州大学, システム情報科学研究院, 准教授 (30761861)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: バーチャルリアリティ / 学習支援 / 第二言語習得 / 語学学習

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In order for English learners to learn correct articulation and language sense, we examined an articulation learning system that transforms and presents the native English speaker's voice and face into that of the learner. We also studied a learning system that reproduces the meaning of words by using the body and tools in a virtual space in order to understand English language senses. In the former case, we developed a technology to convert a native English speaker's voice into a learner's voice, and verified its applicability to shadowing learning. For the latter, we implemented and evaluated a learning system that reproduces the meaning of words in a virtual space by using body and tools in order to understand the sense of English language, and also worked on generating learnable transitive verbs from objects in the virtual environment.

Free Research Field

バーチャルリアリティ

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では特にバーチャルリアリティ技術を使って英語の学習手法をデザインし直すことに取り組み、その学習効果として記憶の再生テストを使った評価を行った。今後HMDなどのバーチャルリアリティ技術が日常のあらゆる場面で利用されることを想定し、どのような手法で人の学習支援に利用できるかを実機を使いながら評価したことが本研究の学術的貢献である。