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Improvement of Japanese adults' English speaking skills via experiences speaking to a robot
Author(s) -
Iio Takamasa,
Maeda Ryota,
Ogawa Kohei,
Yoshikawa Yuichiro,
Ishiguro Hiroshi,
Suzuki Kaori,
Aoki Tomohiro,
Maesaki Miharu,
Hama Mika
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of computer assisted learning
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.583
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1365-2729
pISSN - 0266-4909
DOI - 10.1111/jcal.12325
Subject(s) - pronunciation , psychology , fluency , developmental psychology , mathematics education , linguistics , philosophy
This paper reports how robot‐assisted language learning (RALL) impacts Japanese adults' English speaking skills. With existing research on RALL focusing on children, there is little evidence indicating RALL's effects on adults. We developed a RALL system comprising a robot, a tablet, and designed learning materials for speaking practice. To explore the effects of this system on the speaking skills of adults, we conducted a pretest and posttest designed pilot experiment. The participants in this study were nine female Japanese university students. The participants used the system for speaking practice for a total of 30 min per day for 7 days. The results of comparing the pretests with the posttests demonstrated that the adults' English speaking skills were enhanced; in particular, their speaking accuracy, fluency, and pronunciation improved greatly. This study contributes to providing clear evidence of the effects of RALL on Japanese adults' English speaking skills.