Research Trends in Rate-Controlled Speech for Language Learning

Abstract

In research accomplished to date in rate-controlled speech recording relatively few have treated foreign language teaching/learning. This article reviews salient studies and reports on a research study attempted under a Graduate School Research Fund Grant at the University of Washington. Research in the field tends to illustrates both the great potential for rate-control in foreign language teaching and the lack of a theoretical structure for such practice. If we look back over research and analytical writing concerning language laboratories, little doubt is left that some people have been disappointed. Expectations of the early sixties have often slid into apathy, if not rejection of many audio-lingual practices. Although most studies reported have compared traditional language learning with that including laboratory practices, little was asked about the "kind" of laboratory experience. Overall generalizations have often been attempted without differentiating between such kinds (Hocking, 1970). But for all the criticisms of research designs, it has been reasonably demonstrated that there has been a trend established toward better spoken performance when regular laboratory experience has been provided (Chong, 1979). Moreover, as expected, better oral comprehension has been reported in a great many studies. The trouble has been, of course, that we started out expecting miracles, never allowing for the infamous Hawthrone Effect', and being overly-impressed by certain exponents of the laboratory's uniqueness in language learning. L'oreille electronique was, for instance, reported to produce accent-free French in two short years (Bauer, 1963). For overblown expectations there has often been a certain natural fondness. A recent embellishment of technologically-aided language learning has been the miniaturization of electronic equipment. This phenomenon has led to two other very interesting facets of such learning. These are the long-needed amelioration of language laboratory logistics, and the student control of recorded speech rate. The highly portable (some smaller than a text book) cassette play-back or recorder-play-back unit has now made feasible language laboratory practice away from the laboratory itself. Obviously, the motivated student can now work at improving his oral comprehension with a great deal more convenience than frequent trips to, and hours at, a language laboratory in a certain building. The other facet of the miniaturization process has been the recent reduction in size and cost of so-called "speech compressors." Until recently a quite research-oriented piece of equipment, the speech expansion compression module is now both small in size and relatively