ISCA Archive Interspeech 2016
ISCA Archive Interspeech 2016

Measuring Pronunciation Improvement in Users of CAPT Tool TipTopTalk!

Cristian Tejedor-García, David Escudero-Mancebo, Enrique Cámara-Arenas, César González-Ferreras, Valentín Cardeñoso-Payo

We present a L2 pronunciation training serious game based on the minimal-pairs technique, incorporating sequences of exposure, discrimination and production, and using text-to-speech and speech recognition systems. We have measured the quality of users’ production during a period of time in order to assess improvement after using the application. Substantial improvement is found among users with poorer initial performance levels. The program’s gamification resources manage to engage a high percentage of users. A need is felt to include feedback for users in future versions with the purpose of increasing their performance and avoiding the performance drop detected after protracted use of the tool.