Studies on AI application in pronunciation teaching based on Qupeiyin app through smart phone

Abstract

AbstractThis study focuses on applying Qupeiyin, a mobile phone app, to pronunciation teaching among English major students. Through a 16‐week teaching experiment implemented in control and experimental classes among English major freshmen, with the help of pre‐test, post‐test, questionnaire and assisting tools like EXCEL and SPSS, this study concluded that Qupeiyin app‐assisted pronunciation teaching is effective in improving students' pronunciation proficiency in both segmental and suprasegmental features. Students' error rate in pronunciation decreased significantly. The reason for the positive effects in pronunciation teaching are as follows: (1) multimedia learning materials such as colourful pictures and text, interesting music and songs, authentic readings and dialogues in the app attract students and arouse their interest in learning pronunciation through dubbing; (2) the targeted pronunciation knowledge is transformed into an interesting dubbing activity with explicit teaching aims, which renders the pronunciation teaching more intuitive and easier to understand; (3) Qupeiyin divides a short video into multiple utterances of several seconds, and each utterance of the video can be played and repeated over and over again, giving students enough chance to practice each sound and making them more engaged in the practice so that students may not think too much of Chinese pronunciation; and (4) students feel learning while being entertained the dubbing activity is an entertaining activity in itself, they achieve a sense of accomplishment through dubbing without less pressure.