The potential of using Siri to practice pronunciation : a case study of EFL first year LMD students at Biskra university

Abstract EN

This paper is a part of a research project that tried to test the effectiveness of using automatic speech recognition [ASR] technologies on EFL learners’ pronunciation.

teaching pronunciation has shifted from using old traditional techniques that do not allow learners to know their strengths and weaknesses nor provide them with feedback, to more technological tools like computer assisted pronunciation technologies [CAPT].

thus, this paper aimed to examine the potential of apple’s voice assistant Siri in enabling EFL learners to practice their pronunciation.

for this purpose, a survey was conducted with ten EFL students at Biskra university to collect the data necessary for the selection of the sample.

the latter included four participants who were guided to practice pronunciation while commanding Siri.

the findings revealed that Siri is a great voice recognition tool that allowed learners to practice their pronunciation and correct their errors ; it also helped them to get new information and complete tasks easily.

therefore, it is recommended as a complementary tool to develop EFL learners’ pronunciation.