CATESOL

Date/Time

4/17/2026
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Pacific

Event Registration

Event Type(s)

Prof Dev Meeting/Workshop
Interest Group (IG) Event

Event Description

Corrective Feedback banner

This presentation reports a study of corrective feedback (CF) using computer-assisted pronunciation training. The study looked at how accurate feedback needed to be to promote pronunciation improvement. In the study, 30 native speakers of Chinese completed a pretest, a computer-based training session to produce nine sound contrasts in English, and a post test. The study manipulated feedback accuracy using a modified “Wizard of Oz” protocol where a phonetically-trained human listener in a separate room provided CF on the trainees’ productions, while the trainees thought that the computer-based system provided the CF. The computer system presented nine sound contrasts: three with 100% accuracy, three with 66% accuracy (with one of three human responses changed randomly), and three with 33% accuracy (with two of three human feedback responses changed). Pre and post test productions were rated for accuracy by native speakers of English. Pronunciation accuracy was not significantly different for CF with 100% or 66% accuracy, but both resulted in greater improvement than feedback with 33% accuracy. An important implication for L2 pronunciation training software is that machine feedback (indeed, any feedback) can be beneficial when it is ‘good enough’ (i.e., not 100% accurate).

Presenter

John M. Levis is Distinguished Professor of Applied Linguistics and Technology at Iowa State University. He is founding editor of the Journal of Second Language Pronunciation and the founder of the Pronunciation in Second Language Learning and Teaching Conference. He is the author of Intelligibility, Oral Communication and the Teaching of Pronunciation and co-author of Teaching Pronunciation with Confidence: A Resource for ESL/EFL Teachers. He is also co-editor of Second Language Pronunciation: Bridging the Gap Between Research and Practice, The Handbook of Second Language Pronunciation, and Social Dynamics in Second Language Accent.

Hosts

Teaching of Pronunciation Interest Group (TOP-IG)
Marsha Chan and Patryk Mrozek. Co-coordinators
Donna Brinton, Assistant Coordinator