Exploring AI as a Tool to Improve the English Pronunciation of Spanish-Catalan Teenagers

This study investigates how artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to improve the pronunciation skills of English as a foreign language (EFL) learners, with a specific focus on American English vowel sounds. After a brief introduction to AI concepts, the research discusses the importance of teaching and learning pronunciation, the complexities of the English vowel system, and the specific difficulties encountered by Spanish-Catalan speakers. Furthermore, the possible use of AI in second language acquisition (SLA) and in the language classroom is also addressed. To assess the efficacy of AI tools, Siri and the Speakometer app were tested with 24 Spanish-Catalan teenagers, divided into a control group using traditional methods and an experimental group using the Speakometer app. Both groups received identical explicit instruction on English vowel sounds over four sessions. All participants interacted with Siri before and after the intervention to assess AI’s speech perception while being recorded for later analysis of the participants’ speech production. Since there were no significant differences between the groups in perception or production results before and after the intervention, the findings imply that, for this sample, current AI applications do not significantly help learners improve their English pronunciation. Additionally, the study found that stimulus type, as well as specific vowel sounds, affects AI comprehension, suggesting that existing AI tools have not yet reached the efficiency level needed to be used in EFL pronunciation practice.