Dear all members of JACET ESP Kanto,

I hope this message finds you well.

It is my pleasure to announce that our July meeting will be held on July 17, Saturday, 2021, on ZOOM. Please refer to the following for the detailed meeting ZOOM setup, program, title, abstract, and the bio of the speaker. Please register from the link below by July 14, Thursday, 2021.

https://forms.gle/qZnDivdiWJaFBRj98

ESP Kanto July Zoom Meeting

Time: 2021年7月17日 03:00 PM 大阪、札幌、東京

Meeting URL Zoomミーティングに参加する

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87442668684?pwd=THdCRTVZNWZ4MzJCV25vckwrMU5wZz09

Meeting ID: 874 4266 8684

Passcode: 768634

Program:

1. 15:00-16:00 Research Presentation
2. 16:00-17:00 Discussion & Business Meeting

Presentation
Title: Using automatic speech recognition to develop speaking skills

Presenter: Professor Paul Daniels, Kochi University of Technology, Kochi Prefecture, Japan

ABSTRACT:

Using automatic speech recognition to develop speaking skills can assist Japanese English-language learners who have few opportunities to speak English outside of the classroom. Further, creative solutions need to be explored that maximize speaking opportunities and prepare learners for standardized language tests that contain a speaking component. With the aid of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) technology, in conjunction with automatic speech recognition (ASR) technology, learners can receive additional extensive speaking opportunities which can lead to improved English communication skills. This presentation will introduce how CALL and ASR can be effectively deployed in the language classroom to prepare learners for online speaking exams and to provide additional extensive speaking opportunities. The presenter will outline several online speaking platforms that are designed to automatically score student speech and provide individualized speaking feedback. The presenter will also introduce an open-source speech assessment question-type for Moodle (an open-source content management system) which he has been developing over the past six years. The system employs Google’s speech recognition engine to transcribe student speech into text which is then automatically scored using a phoneme-based algorithm. The speech assessment question-type is freely available via Github.com and is compatible with the latest versions of Moodle.

BIO of the presenter:

Paul Daniels has been using technology in the language classroom for the past 30 years in both the USA and Japan and actively leads international workshops on computer-assisted language learning topics. His current research involves speech recognition and how it can be used to engage learners in speech practice.