HUE UNIVERSITY
HUE UNIVERSITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES
HUCFL SECOND-YEAR ENGLISH-
MAJORING STUDENTS' PERCEPTIONS
TOWARDS THE USE OF ELSA SPEAK
SOFTWARE IN LEARNING
PRONUNCIATION SKILL
Researchers:
Phan Thị Diệu Linh
Nguyễn Thị Hoàn
Hoàng Thị Tuyết Nhung
Phan Thị Cẩm Ly
Research Methods - Group 11
Instructor: TRẦN QUANG NGỌC THÚY
Hue, 2021
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1 – INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………….... 1
1.1 Background of the Study ( by Nguyễn Thị Hoàn )……………………………… 1
1.2 Problem Statement ( by Phan Thị Diệu Linh)…………………………………… 2
1.3 Research Objectives ( by Hoàng Thị Tuyết Nhung)…………………………….. 2
1.4 Scope and Limitations of the Study ( by Phan Thị Cẩm Ly)…………………….2
1.5 Significance of the Study (by Phan Thị Cẩm Ly).……………………………….. 2
CHAPTER 2 - LITERATURE REVIEW………………………………………………….. 3
2.1 Introduction to terms………………………………………………………………. 3
2.1.1 Perceptions ( by Hoàng Thị Tuyết Nhung)….……………………………….. 3
2.1.2 English pronunciation ( by Nguyễn Thị Hoàn)………………………………. 3
2.1.3 Elsa speak ( by Phan Thị Cẩm Ly)……………………………………………. 4
2.2 Previous research ( by Phan Thị Diệu Linh)……………………………………… 5
CHAPTER 3 – METHODOLOGY………………………………………………………......7
3.1 Introduction ( by Nguyễn Thị Hoàn)……………………………………………….. 7
3.2 The research site ( by Nguyễn Thị Hoàn)…………………………………………... 7
3.3 Participants ( by Hoàng Thị Tuyết Nhung)……………………………………….. 7
3.4 Data collection and analysis process ( by Phan Thị Cẩm Ly and Phan Thị Diệu
Linh)………………………………….. ……………………………………………… 7
3.4.1 Methods………………………………………………………………………….. 7
3.4.2 The questionnaire……………………………………………………………….. 7
3.4.3 Interview…………………………………………………………………………. 8
3.4.4 Data collection way……………………………………………………………… 8
3.4.5 Data analysis…………………………………………………………………...... 8
CHAPTER 4 - RESEARCH TIMELINE ( by Hoàng Thị Tuyết Nhung)………………… 10
REFERENCES ( by Phan Thị Diệu Linh and Nguyễn Thị Hoàn )………………………. 11
CHAPTER 1 – INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the study
Realizing that second-year students still have many difficulties in pronouncing English correctly
and have intonation like native speakers, the study focuses on the perception of second-year
English majors at HUCFL for using ELSA Speak software in learning pronunciation skills.
English is regarded as an international language because most people in the world use it in daily
life for many kinds of purposes. Definitely, to make sure that the message is delivered to the
listeners in a correct way, the speaker must have the correct pronunciation. Pronunciation is one
of the English skills regarding the mastery of phonetics and phonology how words are articulated
and produced into sound systems. It is necessary for making the message clear and to be
understood by the listener. Therefore, one problem is to overcome and improve English
pronunciation, especially us - second-year students of HUCFL.
Nowadays we live in an era full of technology, wherever we use technology and it cannot be
separated from technology every day. From children to adults, they use technology in their daily
lives for many different purposes: working, learning. It is said that smartphones have become a
primary need for humans, plus the current pandemic. People work and learn online by using a
smartphone at home. Therefore, it is extremely convenient to take advantage of the time using
smartphones in combination with developing pronunciation skills through the application.
Understanding that, we have conducted a study on the ability to improve students' pronunciation
skills through the use of the ELSA application.
Elsa is a preeminent application Based on the exclusive speech recognition capability by
Artificial Intelligence, it will assist users to make the most effective use of all the built-in
features on the ELSA app to quickly improve their English pronunciation. This application has
many functions such as building a personalized learning path for each individual, detecting and
correcting pronunciation errors to each syllable, practicing visual video conversations, grading
detailed speaking skills, memorize learned vocabulary, and language assistant reminds daily
study, avoid laziness.
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1.2 Problem Statements
The research studies on outstanding features, especially student’ perception of the effectiveness
of Elsa application. We conducted a survey in 2nd year students and collected their opinions
about the perception of this application. From that, we know the feasibility of applying this
application in improving pronunciation skills.
1.3 Research objectives
The purpose of this research is to introduce the Elsa application to second-year students of
HUCFL, guide how to use it, and thereby survey the perception for using ELSA Speak software
in learning pronunciation skills as well as the effectiveness of this application.
Based on the background of the above research, the research formulated several questions as
follows:
1. How are the HUCFL second-year English major student’ perceptions towards the use of
ELSA Speak software?
2. What does the ELSA Speak software impact the pronunciation skills of the students who
use it?
1.4 Scope and Limitation of the Study
This research is choosing one of the best application for learning pronunciation to support
learning activities. It focus on second-year English majors at HUCFL. This research will be
conducted to determine whether this media is effective for improving students' pronunciation.
1.5 Significance of the Study
This research helps us check the perceptions and effectiveness of using ELSA on the Second-
year English major students of Hue University of foreign languages.
The research also aims to explore a new effective method in learning standard English
pronunciation then teachers can refer to the results of this research and consider them to widely
recommend this software to students or design software-aided curriculums.
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CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1. Introduction to terms
2.1.1. Perceptions
According to James Rowland Angell : Definition of Perception.-- Perception has sometimes been
defined as "the consciousness of particular material things present to sense." Perception is as a
matter of fact always a larger thing than this definition would immediately imply; because we are
always aware in the " fringe," in the background of consciousness, of sense activities other than
those we speak of as being perceived, especially those connected with the internal operations of
our own organism. Perception as psychologists describe it, is therefore, like sensation, something
of an abstraction.
Someone has to experience something so that later perceptions can be researched or involved. If
a person perceives a condition or situation in his life, it means that he will recall what has
happened or what he felt at a certain time in the past in the form of the events he has
experienced. So if we can feel something, it means we can recall past events in the form of
objects or events; we will also be able to understand the implied meaning of the incident and
have certain expectations about the object or event.
Perception is very important in understanding human behaviour, because every person perceives
the world and approaches life problems differently- Whatever we see or feel is not necessarily
the same as it really is. It is because what we hear is not what is really said, but what we perceive
as being said. When we buy something, it is not because it is the best, but because we take it to
be the best. Thus, it is because of perception, we can find out why one individual finds a job
satisfying while another one may not be satisfied with it.
2.1.2. English pronunciation
a) What is pronunciation?
Pronunciation is the way in which a language or a particular word or sound is pronounced,
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especially a way that is accepted or generally understood, and a graphic representation of the
way a word is spoken, using phonetic symbols.
Pronunciation is learned by repeating sounds and correcting them when produced inaccurately.
When learners start learning pronunciation they make new habits and overcome the difficulties
resulting from the first language. According to Yates (2002 as cited in Pourhosein Gilakjani,
2016), pronunciation is the production of sounds that are used for making meaning.
English pronunciation is one of the most difficult skills to acquire and learners should spend lots
of time improving their pronunciation. Most people speak the dialect of standard English with an
accent that belongs to the part of the country they come from or live in. Learners of British
English commonly hear RP (received pronunciation), which is an accent often used on the BBC
and other news media and in some course materials for language learners, but it is also common
to hear a variety of regional accents of English from across the world. The process to pronounce
an English sound is difficult for a student who learns English as a foreign language.
b) The Importance of English Pronunciation
Relating to this case, Fraser (2000) argues that pronunciation is one of the most important
language skills. Pronunciation plays an important role in English speaking to express our ideas.
It is important not only to communicate ideas easily but also to understand other speakers
properly. Failure to pronounce an English sound properly might result in a misunderstanding of
meaning. Pronunciation is an essential part of communication and without correct pronunciation,
nobody can say that he/she knows the English language perfectly. Therefore, improving
pronunciation skills for English learners is extremely important and necessary in their learning.
2.1.3. Elsa speak
As you all know, in this era of 4.0 technology, using mobile phones to learn foreign languages is
extremely popular among people of all ages. As a result, there are numerous apps available for
improving pronunciation. ELSA Speak is an app that I discovered on the internet.
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One of the tools that can help support the education 4.0 age is the ELSA Speak application. The
acronym ELSA stands for English Language Speech Assistant. It's a free Android software that
you can get from the App Store or the Google Play App Market. Vu Van created this software in
2015 in the United States, specifically in San Francisco. For people learning English, this app
focuses on how to enhance and perfect pronunciation. Elsa Speak is capable of detecting user
errors when speaking. Furthermore, this program motivates users to be more excited about
learning how to pronounce English words. This is one of the features that distinguishes this
program from others. Elsa Speaking is a free software that can be downloaded from the Play
Store or the App Store on your smartphone.
However, if you want a more complete experience, you need to spend a few bucks for full
access, but don't worry, we can still use this software without difficulty. Its purpose is to help
people talk more confidently, eloquently, and clearly. This software has over 60 subjects and
1200 lessons for people who want to practice pronunciation. This application has a lot of
intriguing features, such as pronunciation of English words, phrases, and sentences. Another
intriguing feature of this application is that it contains an interactive dictionary that assists users
in determining the meaning of uttered words. (2020, Hidayati & Rosyid).
2.2. Previous research
Research related to the use of the ELSA Speak app has been carried out by some researchers
around the world. For example, the research “Elsa Speak App: Automatic Speech Recognition
(ASR) for Supplementing English Pronunciation Skills” by Adhan Kholis; for collecting the
data, the researcher used a checklist of observations and a questionnaire. The test and non-test
techniques were also employed. In knowing the students‟ pronunciation skills, the technique of
testing was applied by giving a spelling word test. The pre-test and post-test are also given to
know the students‟ pronunciation skills. The same test was used to compare both the pre-test and
post-test scores. To analyze the data, the researcher used triangulation analysis for comparing the
data. The researcher also uses interviews to collect data. The findings suggest that applying the
ELSA Speak app could improve EFL learners' pronunciation.
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In addition, Muhammad Syahfrizal research the implementation of mobile application: ELSA
speak to improve students 'pronunciation at eighth-grade students of MTs al IKHLAS
SIDODADI RAMUNIA. This study planned to observe a classroom provided with the ELSA
application and then observe the process, get the results and the analysis. The instruments they
use to collect data are interview, observation, documentation and test. They use both qualitative
data and quantitative data techniques to analyze the data. The results show that the ELSA Speak
software is effective in improving the English pronunciation skills of the studied students.
Ita Sarmita Samad, Ismail experimented an investigation the ELSA Speak Application as a
Supporting Media in Enhancing Students’ Pronunciation Skill to explore how the ELSA
improves students' pronunciation skills; In this study, the instruments used were pre-test and
post-test. The result is that the ELSA Speak Application is effective in enhancing the
pronunciation skill of the first semester students of STKIP Muhammadiyah Enrekang.
In summary, it can be seen that the majority of those previous researches have concentrated on
the effectiveness of the ELSA app. However, these research only focus on objects who are
students, there is no research for University students. Particularly, there is currently no research
that follows specific objects who is Vietnamese to see the impact of this application, whether
there is a positive effect on the Vietnamese when using it particularly in EFL students in Hue
University. Therefore, we conducted this study to investigate the perception of second-year
students at Hue University of Foreign Languages towards the use of the ELSA Speak App as
well as how this app impacts on their pronunciation skill by creating a group of subjects who
were provided with this application to use. The results collected using the tool are questionnaires.
The difference between their research and this research is that this research will be carried out in
a University environment that has second-year students studying. Meanwhile, previous research
was carried out at the secondary school or high school level.
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CHAPTER 3 – METHODOLOGY
3.1. Introduction
This research is to examine the perceptions and effectiveness of using ELSA on the Second-year
English major students of Hue University of foreign languages. According to Gays, Mills and
Airasian (2011), the quantitative approach is suitable to study the cause-effect phenomenon
while the qualitative approach is sufficient to investigate students’ perceptions towards the given
phenomenon. The researcher conducted an experiment to collect primary data; then distribute a
questionnaire followed by an interview to gain an insight understanding.
3.2. The research site
This research is conduct at Hue University of foreign langueges, Viet Nam. The reseachers carry
out the sudy by collecting from particular student
3.3. Participants
There are 40 students were chosen to introduce the ELSA app. We gave them a free account to
access this software and then they can use it then.
This study focus on the students who are second – year English major student of HUCFL. These
students are all looking for an approach to improve their pronunciation skills
3.4. Data collection and analysis process
3.4.1. Methods
For this topic, we use qualitative research method. By creating a questionnaire with questions
related to the above topic to get opinions of the research subjects (Second-year English major
student of English department) from which to get the necessary data.
3.4.2. The questionnaire
Starting from 13th May 2021, we have collected the opinions of the research subjects using a
questionnaire.
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Due to the pandemic, we were not able to do it in person, so we did this research online instead.
We created the questionnaire using Google Form and then through Facebook to provide research
subjects and collect data. To ensure that the research subjects clearly understand the research
topic, we have created a questionnaire in both English and Vietnamese. The questions in the
questionnaire focus on the perception of the student after they use ELSA app and get opinions all
the 40 student.
3.4.3. Interview
The interview includes 6 open-ended questions about how the students feel when they using the
ELSA app and how they feel about their pronunciation skill after using this software. These
question mainly based on the participants’ responses to the questionnaire. The purpose of these
interviews is to clarify unclear responses in the questionnaire and obtain more in-depth
information.
3.4.4. Data collection ways
As mentioned above, data collection will be done online due to the impact of the epidemic.
Instead of delivering the questionnaire to the research subjects, we used Google Form, updated
the questions related to the problem posed, and then through Facebook to help the research
subjects access the questionnaire. Easily,all opinions will be collected clearly and honestly to
serve the data analysis process.
3.4.5 Data analysis
Based on the data obtained from 100 study subjects, we performed the following analysis. We
first divided the answers from multiple-choice questions by percentage, ranking the difficulties
encountered by first-year English students in the process of learning English listening skills by
level from high to low. Next, about the opinion questions, we carefully read each opinion one by
one, grouped the ideas with similarities and divided them into groups. Based on the collected
data, find out the difficulties that first-year English students often encounter in learning English
listening skills.
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Thereby, it is possible to come up with appropriate solutions to solve the posed problems. All
data obtained will be kept intact, unaltered, ensuring absolute accuracy and honesty.
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CHAPTER 4 - RESEARCH TIMELINE
In early April, we began conducting study on this topic. It began with the selection of a topic,
followed by the formulation of research questions and the significance of the study. Before
starting the investigation, the second stage is to write a literature review. Finally, create a
research proposal.
The Research Process
Task Est.Time
Choose a research topic’s tittle 8th -12th April
Research aims and questions 12th -14th April
- Select search terms
- Create search statements
Literature Review 21st -27th April
- Search information and reference
- Review previous rearch
- Determine whether sources are
appropriate for page
Define the method research 27th April-13th May
Conduct research: 13th May-15th June
- Survey students using ELSA
software
- Interview results
Write and revise the research 15th July-20th July
proposal
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REFERENCES
Abbas Pourhosein Gilakianj (November 18, 2016). English Pronunciation Instruction: A
Literature Review.
Angell, J. R. (1904). Psychology: An Introductory Study of the Structure and Function of Human
Conscious. New York: Henry Holt and Company 1906, 3(6), 122-140
Gay, L., Mills, G., & Airasian, P. (2011). Educational research: Competencies for analysis and
applications (10th edition). Canada: Pearson Higher Ed.
Hidayati, P. S., & Rosyid, A. (2020). Pembelajaran english pronunciation Melalui mobile
assisted language learning (mall): potensi dan Hambatan. Jurnal Ilmiah Pendidikan, 04, 61–66
Kholis, A. (2021). Elsa Speak App: Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) for Supplementing
English Pronunciation Skills. Pedagogy: Journal of English Language Teaching, 9(1). 01-14
Muhammad Syahfriza (2021) The implementation of mobile application: ELSA speak to
improve students 'pronunciation at eighth grade students of MTs al IKHLAS SIDODADI
RAMUNIA
Samad, I., & Ismail, I. (2020). ELSA Speak Application as a Supporting Media in Enhancing
Students’ Pronunciation Skill. MAJESTY JOURNAL, 2(2), 1-7.
https://doi.org/10.33487/majesty.v2i2.510
Sarmita Samad, I., & Aminullah, A. (2019). Applying ELSA Speak Software in the
Pronunciation Class: Students’ Perception. Edumaspul: Jurnal Pendidikan, 3(1), 56-63.
https://doi.org/10.33487/edumaspul.v3i1.85
Zana Chobita Aratusa (2018). Using accent reduction software to improve English beginners’
pronunciation.
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