ELSA and Speaking Performance: A Study

In this episode of the TOEFL Speaking Prep Podcast for the AI Era, we explore the groundbreaking role of AI in transforming language learning. Our focus is on ELSA (English Language Speech Assistant) and its integration with tools like My Speaking Score to revolutionize TOEFL exam preparation. Learn how AI-driven solutions are tackling the challenges of traditional classroom methods by offering instant, personalized feedback on pronunciation, intonation, fluency, grammar, and vocabulary.

We’ll dive into a study from Jordan that highlights the impact of ELSA on improving university students' speaking skills, showing significant gains in areas like pronunciation and vocabulary. Discover how AI-powered platforms like ELSA and SpeechRater democratize education, leveling the playing field for learners across the globe.

But it’s not all about technology! We’ll discuss the balance between leveraging AI and maintaining critical thinking, ensuring equitable access, and using AI responsibly in education. Join us as we explore how this exciting fusion of technology and education paves the way for a more inclusive and effective future for language learning.

Stay tuned for insights, ethical considerations, and practical applications to boost your TOEFL speaking performance. 🎙️

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• SpeechRater Blog
• SpeechRater Knowledge Base

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My Speaking Score serves 000s of users across the globe by helping them data-power their TOEFL Speaking prep.

Transcript

Welcome back everybody to another deep dive Today, we're gonna be talking about something that's pretty fascinating to me at least AI and language learning Yeah, definitely specifically we're gonna be kind of looking at ELLSA Integrated into my speaking score and how this is kind of transforming TOEFL exam prep

Yeah, so, you know for so many people around the world becoming fluent English is a huge goal Absolutely, but it's not without its challenges, right? Definitely. I mean just thinking about Traditional classrooms as valuable as they are they often kind of fall short when you're thinking about building speaking skills Yeah for sure and it's fascinating because research shows a lot of students They end up mostly listening in a classroom instead of really actively practicing speaking English, right? And even if they want to practice speaking up in a classroom full of people can be kind of intimidating Absolutely, and it's hard for teachers to give like really personalized feedback to every single student Yeah, it's a challenge for sure and you know rubrics and other methods they have their place But they can be super time-consuming and they don't always give students that specific feedback. 

They need to really get better. Yeah, totally So, how is AI changing the game? Well AI is kind of offering these new solutions to these very problems Okay, so like ELSA for example the ELSA speech analyzer It's integrated into my speaking score and it uses these really sophisticated algorithms 

Yeah to analyze pronunciation intonation fluency grammar vocabulary and then it gives instant feedback Wow, so it's personalized to the learner and it guides them to more natural and accurate English So it's basically like having a personal language tutor but available anytime. Yeah, exactly. 

That's incredible So for those specifically preparing for the TOEFL exam, how does this tech help? Well, that's where speech radar comes in It's another AI tool in my speaking score and it's super important for TOEFL prep because what it does is it evaluates spoken responses and Gives scores that are aligned with the official TOEFL speaking test Wow, so learners can kind of preview how they might do on the real exam. 

That's really cool Yeah, and they can see what areas they need to improve so it takes out a lot of the guesswork for sure That's really valuable So all this tech sounds really cool, but does it actually help with skill development? Yeah, you know There's actually research to back it up. Oh cool There was a study done at universities in Jordan and they looked at ELSA specifically Okay, and they were looking at its impact on the students speaking skills. 

They used a quasi experimental design It wasn't a fully randomized controlled trial, but it still provided some really valuable insight Okay, and it involved 34 university students and the results were actually pretty impressive I'm curious tell me more about those results So the students using ELSA they showed a much greater improvement in their speaking skills overall Compared to those who are using just traditional methods. 

That's great. Were there any areas where the improvement was like particularly noticeable? Yeah, they saw really big gains in pronunciation intonation and vocabulary and those are areas where traditional teaching Sometimes struggles to give enough individualized attention, right because it's really hard to do all that in a classroom setting Yeah, exactly And I think that's what's really interesting about LSA It seems to fill in the gaps where maybe teachers don't always have the time or resources to offer that consistent targeted feedback and practice Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. 

So it sounds like AI is doing more than just giving us fancy new tools It's making high quality learning accessible to more people, right? It's not just about location or resources anymore It's about leveling the playing field. Exactly I'm excited to see what else AI can do to democratize education and how that can help people reach their full potential But how does that actually work in practice? 

Well, just imagine AI tutors being able to reach learners even in the most remote places right that breaks down so many barriers Yeah and think about language apps powered by AI helping people overcome communication obstacles and Connecting with people from different cultures. It's powerful stuff It really is it seems like AI has the potential to revolutionize not just language learning but learning as a whole Yeah, so much to explore here. 

Absolutely. We've only just scratched the surface Yeah, for sure, and it's not even just students who benefit, you know AI is becoming a really useful tool for teachers too. It can help them be more effective and efficient Yeah, I was just thinking about that. 

It seems like AI could really help take some of that pressure off of teachers Especially like with grading and giving personalized feedback Exactly AI can kind of automate those routine tasks, you know The ones that teachers get bogged down with it frees up their time so they can focus on what matters Like engaging with students encouraging their curiosity creating really dynamic learning experiences Instead of spending hours and hours grading essays a teacher could use AI to pinpoint areas where students need help and then give them Targeted support in class. 

I would be huge for so many teachers, right? It's like working smart or not harder exact and then they can dedicate more time to what they love which is teaching Yeah, it's about finding a better balance, you know Right a more effective learning environment where technology and human expertise work together So we've talked about ESA and speech radar, but are there other AI tools out there that are making a big difference in language learning? 

Oh, yeah tons. There's a whole ecosystem of AI tools popping up like Duolingo You know as a popular platform and it uses AI to Personalize lessons and give adaptive feedback and then you have things like Grammarly It uses AI to help learners improve their writing It catches those little grammar and syntax errors that we all miss sometimes. 

Oh, I use Grammarly all the time It's amazing how it catches things. I would never have seen it's like having a personal editor Yeah, exactly AI is becoming this super powerful Assistant for learners at all levels from beginners to people who are already pretty good at the language It's like having a whole team of language experts available to you all the time. That's pretty amazing It's also promising but like with any new tech, especially in education. 

I imagine there's some concerns, too Yeah, you know are there reservations about relying too much on AI for learning? Oh, of course We have to use AI responsibly. It's a tool and like any tool it has limitations One concern is that Learners could become too reliant on the tech and not think critically or reflect on their own learning as much. 

That's interesting It's like when you use GPS too much You might get where you need to go, but you don't really learn the route or develop your sense of direction That's a great analogy. 

We need to strike a balance AI can be an amazing guide and support system But it shouldn't replace human interaction and learning on your own and then there's the issue of access and equity AI has a potential to democratize education But we have to make sure everyone has equal access to these technologies regardless of their background or where they live, right? We don't want to make existing inequalities worse. 

Exactly We need to make sure AI tools are available and accessible to everyone who can benefit from them It's about making sure AI is a force for good for inclusivity and opportunity for all absolutely So as we go forward we need to think about the capabilities of AI but also the ethics of using it in education Yes, we need to ask ourselves how we can use AI to make people better thinkers to create a more equitable and fair world This has been a really eye-opening conversation. It's clear that AI and education is full of Potential but also some pretty complex issues. 

It's definitely something we need to keep talking about as learning evolves It really feels like we're at this turning point, you know, like we're entering this whole new era in education It makes me think about what this could all mean in the long run Like what is the rise of AI mean for human intelligence? 

That's a question that people have a lot of different opinions about some people worry that if we rely too much on AI It could actually make our own cognitive abilities worse You know that classic sci-fi fear that humans will become lazy and let technology do all the thinking Yeah, like our brains will turn to mush because we're not actually problem-solving or thinking critically anymore But is that really what's gonna happen? Well, not necessarily. 

There's another way to look at it Some see AI as something that could actually help human intelligence get better when it's used effectively AI can take care of all those boring repetitive tasks Which frees us up to focus on the things that require more brain power like creative thinking or solving complex problems It's almost like AI becomes this mental workout buddy that pushes us to think in new and innovative ways So instead of replacing human intelligence AI could actually help us expand our capabilities and reach new levels of understanding Exactly, and this brings up another really interesting question How do we even define intelligence in a world where machines are getting so good at thinking like humans? That's a great point. 

We usually think of intelligence as our ability to learn reason solve problems But what happens when AI can do all of that too? And often even better than we can it forces us to re-evaluate what we consider intelligent Maybe human intelligence will become less about how fast our brains can process information and more about things like empathy Creativity and the ability to connect ideas that seem totally different 

You know the things that make us uniquely human It sounds like those uniquely human qualities will be even more important in the future as AI becomes more prevalent It's not about humans versus machines, but about how we can use the strengths of both to create a better world a world That's more harmonious and intellectually stimulating. 

I think that's a really important point from our deep dive today AI is incredibly powerful, but we have to be the ones to use it in a way that benefits humanity We need to use technology to help people reach their full potential To encourage a love of learning and to create a more equitable and just world This deep dive has really been amazing. 

We've talked about the specific ways AI is revolutionizing language learning How it's providing personalized feedback and making education more accessible And we've even touched on some of the big philosophical questions about AI and what it means for the future of human intelligence 

It's been quite a journey and it's clear that AI isn't just a new technology It's changing our society and our culture in ways that we'll continue to see for many years to come It's an exciting time, but it's also really important to approach AI 

Thoughtfully to think critically and to make sure we're using it ethically And to all of you listening out there stay curious Keep asking questions and keep exploring the incredible potential of AI in every aspect of your lives Thanks for joining us for this deep dive