| _version_ | 1866901241034964992 |
|---|---|
| author | Adebayo, Oluyinka Mosunmola |
| author_facet | Adebayo, Oluyinka Mosunmola |
| contents | <p><span>The study investigates the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based speech feedback software on English dental fricatives /θ/ and /ð/ pronunciation among English as a Second Language (ESL) learners. With AI technology increasingly employed in language acquisition, the current research considers how the employment of the AI-based pronunciation apps Youglish and Forvo influence ESL learners' pronunciation of such challenging consonant sounds. Fifty undergraduate ESL students (25 males and 25 females) participated in the study. Pre-test and post-test designs were used, where participants' pronunciations of experimental words containing /θ/ and /ð/ were recorded and acoustically analysed using Praat software before and after a four-week intervention with Youglish and Forvo pronunciation-aiding apps. The study is guided by the Speech Learning Model (SLM) and Optimality Theory. The respondents pronounced 30 samples, with some of the words as distractors and the rest (10 words and 8 sentences) containing the dental fricatives at the onset and medial positions. Data analysis focused on improvements in pronunciation accuracy, measured both perceptually and acoustically. Findings showed significant improvement in the production of /θ/ and /ð/, with the percentage of learners demonstrating the correct phonological pattern rising from 16% in the pre-test to 70% in the post-test (an absolute gain of 54 percentage points). Overall, 66% of the participants improved in both sounds simultaneously, and 80% of the learners overall found AI feedback tools useful. Critically, 84% of participants reported encountering major challenges (such as poor internet, equipment failure, or background noise), while only 16% reported no significant challenges. The findings show that AI pronunciation tools like Youglish and Forvo, in addition to Praat software, can effectively facilitate ESL students in the acquisition of difficult consonant sounds by providing precise feedback. The study concludes that AI-based pronunciation practice can enhance the phonetic skill of ESL learners and recommends further studies on long-term effects and other phonetic factors. The study contributes to sustainable language learning through demonstrating how emerging AI technologies can be employed to enhance 21st-century pronunciation learning.</span></p> |
| format | Recurso digital |
| id | zenodo_https___doi_org_10_5281_zenodo_18649858 |
| institution | Zenodo |
| language | |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publisher | Zenodo |
| record_format | zenodo |
| spellingShingle | The Effect of AI Feedback on ESL Learners' Production of English Dental Fricatives /θ/ and /ð/ Adebayo, Oluyinka Mosunmola Artificial Intelligence ESL Pronunciation Dental Fricatives AI Feedback Digital Literacy <p><span>The study investigates the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based speech feedback software on English dental fricatives /θ/ and /ð/ pronunciation among English as a Second Language (ESL) learners. With AI technology increasingly employed in language acquisition, the current research considers how the employment of the AI-based pronunciation apps Youglish and Forvo influence ESL learners' pronunciation of such challenging consonant sounds. Fifty undergraduate ESL students (25 males and 25 females) participated in the study. Pre-test and post-test designs were used, where participants' pronunciations of experimental words containing /θ/ and /ð/ were recorded and acoustically analysed using Praat software before and after a four-week intervention with Youglish and Forvo pronunciation-aiding apps. The study is guided by the Speech Learning Model (SLM) and Optimality Theory. The respondents pronounced 30 samples, with some of the words as distractors and the rest (10 words and 8 sentences) containing the dental fricatives at the onset and medial positions. Data analysis focused on improvements in pronunciation accuracy, measured both perceptually and acoustically. Findings showed significant improvement in the production of /θ/ and /ð/, with the percentage of learners demonstrating the correct phonological pattern rising from 16% in the pre-test to 70% in the post-test (an absolute gain of 54 percentage points). Overall, 66% of the participants improved in both sounds simultaneously, and 80% of the learners overall found AI feedback tools useful. Critically, 84% of participants reported encountering major challenges (such as poor internet, equipment failure, or background noise), while only 16% reported no significant challenges. The findings show that AI pronunciation tools like Youglish and Forvo, in addition to Praat software, can effectively facilitate ESL students in the acquisition of difficult consonant sounds by providing precise feedback. The study concludes that AI-based pronunciation practice can enhance the phonetic skill of ESL learners and recommends further studies on long-term effects and other phonetic factors. The study contributes to sustainable language learning through demonstrating how emerging AI technologies can be employed to enhance 21st-century pronunciation learning.</span></p> |
| title | The Effect of AI Feedback on ESL Learners' Production of English Dental Fricatives /θ/ and /ð/ |
| topic | Artificial Intelligence ESL Pronunciation Dental Fricatives AI Feedback Digital Literacy |
| url | https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18649858 |