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When a reader picks up your extended essay for the first time, s/he
should have to read only the abstract or first paragraph to get a clear
idea of what is it you are trying to prove e.g.
This extended essay investigates the use of
the speech recognition software bundled with Windows as a possible tool
for second language learners of English to improve their pronunciation
in an academic context.
The present state of computer speech sense disambiguation
will be reviewed briefly in the light of commercially available packages for language learning and assistive technology for
students with learning disabilities.
A five-member focus group,
representing five different language backgrounds, will be tracked over
6 months as they use Windows speech to text in Word to help them write
short essays. During this time each member will try out another
computer-based opportunity to improve pronunciation and results will be
compared through the mediums of tape-recordings, detailed phonetic
transcription and saved .doc files in Word.
The effect of the English language
host environment, accent loyalty to expatriate groups, and additional
English classes will be factored in, but it is anticipated that using
the speech recognition software will impact most positively on learners
mastery of segmental rather than suprasegmental pronunciation.
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