Teaching ESL pronunciation to international teaching assistants with the ELSA Speak app

Abstract

The demand for spoken English in professional and educational settings has inspired a revived interest in the teaching and learning of pronunciation in the past couple of decades. In response, innovative language learning software that uses Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to develop and improve to meet this demand. In an International Teaching Assistant (ITA) training course at a US university, an ASR-based mobile app, English Language Speak Assistant (ELSA) Speak, was integrated into the course curriculum as a supplemental tool for daily pronunciation practice. In this TIP Forum article, the benefits and challenges of integrating the app are reported. ELSA Speak provided ITAs with limitless and individualized pronunciation practice and feedback, reaching beyond limitations of a human instructor. While learners benefitted from the continuous practice, comprehending the feedback they received from the app was occasionally challenging. In addition, solutions addressing the institutional and economic constraints for technology tool integration are discussed in this article so that practitioners may consider permanent adaptation models that are sustainable.