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--- Forwarded Message from Mike Ledgerwood <[log in to unmask]> --- >In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]> >References: <[log in to unmask]> >From: Mike Ledgerwood <[log in to unmask]> >Subject: Re: #9021.3 (!) Speech recognition software >Date: Thu, 11 Dec 2008 19:40:33 -0600 >To: Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum <[log in to unmask]> I hope I'm not stating the obvious, but Dragon (etc.) was created to help native speakers of a language and not to help FL learners. This software was set up to adapt itself to a speaker's voice and oral facility. Thus for foreign language usage, a non-native speaker could have an awful target language accent that would force the software to "bend over backwards" trying to adapt itself to the speaker. It would try to come up with any word at all even if the FL speaker's voice contained little that would be understood by a TL user. So, I can see a lot of frustration for an FL learner with poor oral skills. Even if the software succeeded in producing comprehensible output, it would then support a less than desired level of oral language for many (most?) FL learners below the level of Intermediate (High?). I think the point of FL software should be to train the speaker for better oral language production and not to train the software to support the speaker..... Also have to admit to being sorry I spent a lot of money last year on Dragon (PC version) trying to help my 6th grader "write" better. However, his high voice timbre, quick frustration, and strong New York accent (ask how he is doing now in Alabama!) meant the software was abandoned after several hours of work. And this was with a slightly non-standard native speaker of English..... Best to all, Mike Ledgerwood. P.S. Just a reminder that the IALLT Conf. call for proposals is now past. However, those with a last minute idea might still consider doing a proposal. The Program Comm. might still consider it. I would love to meet many of you who contribute to this list who have never been to IALLT or not in a long time. Mikle D. Ledgerwood, Ph.D. Chair of World Languages and Cultures Professor of French Samford University [log in to unmask] on leave from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, 2007-2009. IALLT President-Elect *********************************************** LLTI is a service of IALLT, the International Association for Language Learning (http://iallt.org/), and The Consortium for Language Teaching and Learning (http://www.languageconsortium.org/). Join IALLT at http://iallt.org. Otmar Foelsche, LLTI-Editor ([log in to unmask]) ***********************************************