Abstract

WebGrader TM is a pronunciation grading tool designed for practicing pronunciation in a second language. The system uses SRI's speech recognition [1] and pronunciation scoring [2][3][4] technologies. The application client was implemented by using the Java platform to facilitate deployment and updates of software and content over the World Wide Web. We present the overall system architecture, user-interface design, scoring algorithms, and a preliminary user study. 1. Introduction Most foreign language instruction courses focus on teaching reading, and writing, and on listening comprehension. Much less effort is dedicated to teaching speech production because it is sometimes considered less critical for communicating in a foreign language, or simply because of a lack of resources such as private tutors who are native or near-native speakers of the target language. We believe that an interactive system capable of grading pronunciation can facilitate the pronunciation learning process....

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