ColloSpeak: A GenAI-Powered System for Learning English Collocation

As internationalization gains momentum, English as a lingua franca is becoming increasingly important. In particular, understanding collocations is essential for natural communication, but research suggests that it is difficult for second language learners to learn collocations and is a high hurdle to master. In this paper, we focused on collocation as an important aspect of natural communication and developed ColloSpeak, an application to improve speaking skill through collocation learning. The system mainly includes a vocabulary search function and a quiz function that utilizes AI and voice recognition. The system is designed to allow users to experience collocation with examples and related speaking practice and instant AI-generated feedback. We evaluated ColloSpeak with 16 Japanese participants with English proficiency ranging from beginner to advanced levels. In general, the participants rated ColloSpeak highly in terms of learning achievement, effectiveness and overall experience. Our evaluation results indicate that AI-based collocation learning apps can have a positive impact on users' practical speaking ability and learning experience.