--- Forwarded Message from Bill Koulopoulos <[log in to unmask]> --- >From: Bill Koulopoulos <[log in to unmask]> >To: Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum <[log in to unmask]> >In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]> >Subject: Re: #9021.4 (!) Speech recognition software >Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2008 07:48:04 -0500 >References: <[log in to unmask]> Greetings to you all, I have used MacSpeech Dictate for the last six months and have been happy with it. Although some claim accuracy of 90% and up, in my experience it was about 85% ( I do have an accent by the way). Yet, it has made a difference in the amount of typing I do and I would recommend it. It's not perfect, but it's the best (for Mac) out there. Bill On Dec 15, 2008, at 5:05 PM, LLTI-Editor wrote: > --- 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]) > *********************************************** >