A practical guide to demystifying speech technologies and integrating them into world languages courses
Speech technologies—such as speech recognition and speech synthesis—have become increasingly present in everyday life, yet many language teachers lack guidance on how to meaningfully integrate them into classroom practice. A Practical Guide to Speech Technologies for Second Language Learning addresses this gap by providing accessible explanations of key concepts, with no specialized background or training needed.
Grounded in CALL (computer-assisted language learning) and SLA theory, the book shows how speech technologies can support language learning and teaching in principled and pedagogically sound ways. The book focuses on speech synthesis and speech recognition technologies, providing practical tips and considerations for teaching speaking, listening, and pronunciation. Each section provides clear explanations of how the technologies function, insights from theory and research, and practical classroom examples, helping readers understand both their potential and limitations. The book also provides examples of activities for both English and French as second languages, and it illustrates how these technologies can be readily extended to a variety of languages.
This practical guide shows world language instructors how to integrate speech technologies into their courses. It will be useful for teachers, teacher trainers, and CALL researchers.
Reviews
"Packed with practical guidance and ready-to-use activities, this book is an absolute must-read for any language teacher or researcher ready to empower their second language learners through speech technologies."—Marta González-Lloret, professor of applied linguistics, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa
"This book is a desperately needed gift for anyone wanting to keep up with the unprecedented growth in speech technologies that can facilitate second language learning. McCrocklin and Inceoglu have written a practical, accessible, and research-driven guide that will be indispensable for language instructors and scholars alike."—Jennifer A. Foote, associate professor in education, University of Alberta
"Accessible, engaging, and never overwhelming—this book succeeds where many CALL texts stumble. The authors explain technical topics with clarity, and their inclusion of examples and activities across Chinese, German, Japanese, Korean, and beyond significantly broadens its relevance, making it a genuinely valuable resource for a global audience of K–16 teachers and language teacher educators."—Evgeny Dengub, University of Southern California
"As someone deeply invested in pronunciation teaching and teacher education, I appreciate how McCrocklin and Inceoglu demystify speech technologies without overselling them. Grounded in SLA research yet highly practical, this book shows how technology can help learners notice how they sound, build confidence, and prepare for more meaningful human interaction."—Aurore Mroz, associate professor of French, second language acquisition teacher education, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
About the Author
Shannon McCrocklin is associate professor of TESOL / Applied Linguistics at Southern Illinois University. Her work has appeared in System, CALICO Journal, and TESOL Quarterly, as well as edited books.
Solène Inceoglu is a senior lecturer in French / applied linguistics at the Australian National University. Her work has been published in leading international journals and edited volumes, and she serves on multiple editorial boards, including the Australian Review of Applied Linguistics.
