Speech Interactive Computer-assisted Language Learning: a Cross-Cultural Evaluation

The evaluation in real time of a computer-assisted language learning (CALL) program with end users is an invaluable stage in the design and development of such a program. By using a sample of target users in the evaluation, it is possible to gather information on attitudes towards the program and performance of the program with an intended population. However, such users come to the research with personal attitudes towards the target language and the learning process. This article describes the evaluation of a speech-interactive CALL program that creates an environment in which the learners, using speech recognition technology, can converse with virtual characters in the target language in real time. A cross-cultural empirical evaluation was adopted where two groups of users participated in the research: students of French in Scotland and students of English as a foreign language in mainland China. The evaluations sought to investigate user attitudes towards the speech-interactive CALL program and the performance of the system. In addition, users' motivations towards studying the target language were investigated. Differences were found between the two groups of learners with regards to their motivation towards studying the target language, which may be considered in relation to their differences in attitude towards the speech interactive CALL program.