An Empirical Study on Reading Aloud and Learning English by the Use of the Reading Assistant SRS

Abstract

This paper investigates the English pronunciation skills and its integration with other language skills when adopting the computer-assisted curriculum design. And it further explores the effectiveness of the Speech Recognition System (SRS) that was incorporated into a traditional English pronunciation class in China. During the course of this study, English majors who completed the SRS procedure for one year were examined in discrete aspects for the relationship between their reading aloud proficiency and language proficiency. The results show that the experimental groups with the SRS reading system curriculum design showed great effectiveness in improving learners’ reading aloud proficiency. As compared with traditional training methods for English oral reading, the computer-assisted form of oral training improved the students’ listening, pronunciation, reading, and writing skills. The SRS system also was found to be conducive to enhancing students’ interest in language learning and in cultivating their acceptance of self-directed learning.