Alexa – Teach me Spanish: A Study of Autonomous Use of Voice-activated Personal Assistants for Language Learning

Voice-activated Personal Assistants (VAPAs), such as Alexa or Siri, can be utilised for autonomous language learning purposes ranging from asking simple questions about the culture of the target language to interaction in the target language with the intelligent assistant. These technologies can help with tasks such as looking up words, spelling, and pronunciation checking, as well as motivating learners to produce output in their target language. However, VAPAs are primarily designed to be utilised in the user’s first language rather than a second language, and learners often overlook their potential to assist in their language learning process. This paper reports on a study to gather data on university student use of VAPAs. The research questions asked students taking Spanish language modules at a UK Higher Education institution about their use of VAPAs for language learning. The results show that most participants own a device with a VAPA, and some use it for language learning purposes, although this is a relatively small proportion. They also identify potential further user engagement. The paper concludes that the potential of VAPAs for language learning needs to be included in the range of resources that students are directed to for autonomous language learning study and practice.