Implementing Text-to-Speech Technology as a Means of Enhancing L2 Reading Fluency

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 61-73
Author(s):  
Jeisson Alonso Rodriguez Bonces
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Reading Fluency ◽  
Oral Reading ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Text To Speech ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Action Research Project ◽  
Speech Technology ◽  
L2 Reading

This article reports on the results of a participatory action research project carried out with a group of ten elementary level students from extension courses in a private university in Bogotá, Colombia (Universidad Minuto de Dios, main branch). The main objective of this study was to determine the effect of text-to-speech (TTS) technology usage on reading fluency in speakers of English as a foreign language. The results show that learners develop oral reading fluency in areas such as linking sounds, pronouncing accurately, and reading timing. Furthermore, learners raised their awareness of the benefits of using Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in the process of learning a foreign language, as well as the importance of being autonomous learners. Pedagogical implications and prospects for future research are included.

The Effects of Text-to-Speech on Reading Outcomes for Secondary Students With Learning Disabilities

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 80-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Cece Young ◽  
Carrie Anna Courtad ◽  
Karen H. Douglas ◽  
Yun-Ching Chung
Keyword(s):  
Learning Disabilities ◽  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Secondary Students ◽  
Reading Fluency ◽  
Oral Reading ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Students With Learning Disabilities ◽  
Text To Speech ◽  
Reading Outcomes

This study investigated the effectiveness of text-to-speech (TTS) on the outcomes of reading comprehension and oral reading fluency (ORF) for four secondary students with learning disabilities. The researchers used a single-case A–B–A–B withdrawal design to evaluate the effectiveness of TTS on reading outcomes. All participants scored higher on reading comprehension after using TTS when reading instructional passages and maintained the skills for 4 weeks. Results on participants’ ORF also indicated an increased level of words read per min at the end of each accommodation condition. Comparison of pre- and posttest achievement on the Lexile assessment showed that two of the four participants increased their reading scores. Major findings are discussed with implications for practice and recommendations for future research to increase the use of TTS in the classroom.

The Effects of Response to Intervention on Literacy Development in Multiple-Language Settings

2007 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 197-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela Stephens McIntosh ◽  
Anne Graves ◽  
Russell Gersten
Keyword(s):  
Response To Intervention ◽  
Reading Fluency ◽  
Oral Reading ◽  
English Learners ◽  
Oral Reading Fluency ◽  
Literacy Practices ◽  
First Grade ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Tier 2 ◽  
Tier 1

This descriptive study documents the effects of response-to-intervention type practices in four first-grade classrooms of English learners (ELs) from 11 native languages in three schools in a large urban school district in southern California. Observations and interviews in four classrooms across two consecutive years were compared to first-grade gains in oral reading fluency ( N = 111). Reading fluency data were examined in relation to ratings of literacy practices, including the degree to which Tier 1 alone or Tier 1 plus Tier 2-type instruction was implemented. The correlation between classroom ratings on the English Learners Classroom Observation Instrument (ELCOI) and gain from pre- to posttest in first grade on oral reading fluency was moderately strong in both Year 1 ( r = .61) and Year 2 ( r = .57). The correlation between Cluster II teacher ratings and ORF gains was strong in both Year 1 ( r = .75) and Year 2 ( r = .70), suggesting a strong relationship between Tier 2-type literacy practices and end-of-first-grade oral reading fluency. Results indicated a strong correlation ( r = -.81) between the number of students below DIBELS benchmark thresholds at the end of first grade and the teacher rating on the amount of instruction provided for low performers. Followup data at the end of third grade in oral reading fluency and comprehension indicate moderate correlations to first-grade scores ( N = 51). Patterns of practice among first-grade teachers and patterns among ELs who were ultimately labeled as having learning disabilities are discussed. Educational implications and recommendations for future research are also presented.

Reading Instruction for Elementary-Age Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders: Academic and Behavioral Outcomes

2005 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sally M. Barton-Arwood ◽  
Joseph H. Wehby ◽  
Katherine B. Falk
Keyword(s):  
Reading Achievement ◽  
Reading Instruction ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Behavioral Disorders ◽  
Reading Fluency ◽  
Reading Intervention ◽  
Oral Reading ◽  
Social Behaviors ◽  
Reading Program ◽  
Future Research

This study evaluated the effects of a reading intervention on the reading achievement and social behaviors of 6 third-grade students with emotional/behavioral disorders. Reading instruction occurred 4 days a week using the Horizons Fast Track reading program and Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies. Analyses indicated variable improvements in basic reading skills with limited transfer to oral reading fluency. Outcomes for social behaviors indicated that changes in total inappropriate behavior were not directly related to the reading intervention; improved engagement appeared related to intervention but not necessarily reading achievement. Results are discussed in the context of possible reasons for differential responding and implications for practice and future research.

scholarly journals Reading in English as a Foreign language: Examining differences in reading speed, comprehension, efficacy and L1 cross-linguistic influence across grades

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Àngels Llanes Baró
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Reading Fluency ◽  
Reading Speed ◽  
First Language ◽  
L2 Reading ◽  
English Reading ◽  
Fluency And Comprehension ◽  
Highly Correlated ◽  
Study Participants ◽  
L1 And L2

Reading in a second or foreign language (L2) is a more complicated process than reading in one's first language because it requires additional demands on the reader. Reading can be assessed from various domains. Reading fluency is known to be the most determining domain to identify reading problems (Rasinski, 2000). However, the goal of reading is comprehending a text, so comprehension should not be disregarded either. Despite the importance of reading in an L2, few studies have focused on examining its effects. The goal of the present study is threefold: first, to provide the estimates of L2 English reading rates of L1 Catalan/Spanish students of different ages and grades; second, to examine whether there are significant differences between participants of different grades in terms of reading rates, comprehension and efficacy; and third, to explore whether the students' reading rates in the L1 are correlated with their L2 reading rates and if so, the extent to which L1 reading rates explain L2 reading rates. 790 Catalan/Spanish learners of English participated in the present study. Participants were from 5th grade primary (age 12) to 2nd baccalaureate (age 18). They were asked to read two texts, one in English and the other one in their L1 (they could choose between Catalan or Spanish). They were asked to answer 7 multiple-choice comprehension questions after reading each text. Next, their scores on fluency (words read per minute), comprehension (percentage of comprehended text) and efficacy (a formula that integrates speed and comprehension) were obtained. Results show that reading fluency and comprehension are not linear and that they do not necessarily improve over time. Results also show that L1 and L2 reading fluency rates are highly correlated and that L1 reading rates explain a large percentage of L2 reading rates.

A-142 A Correlation between Reading Fluency and Processing Speed in a Child Population

2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 1195-1195
Author(s):  
Lara Rifai ◽  
Nisha Kajani ◽  
Kayla Kotalik ◽  
Ana Lopez ◽  
Lisa Lashley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Reading Fluency ◽  
Oral Reading ◽  
Processing Speed ◽  
Intellectual Ability ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Intelligence Scale ◽  
Reading Efficiency

Abstract Objective The aim of this study was to determine whether a correlation exists between reading fluency in the WJ-IV ACH and processing speed in the WISC-V. Method The data for this study was derived from a large de-identified database. Participants (n = 90) included individuals who completed the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children Fifth Edition (WISC-V), which measures intellectual ability, and the Woodcock Johnson IV Tests of Achievement (WJ-IV ACH), which tests for reading, writing, and mathematic achievement. The participants consisted of 36.7% White, 20% Black, 31.1% Hispanic, and 12.2% Other. From the sample, 66.7% were male and 32.3% were female. All the participants were administered the WISC-V and WJ-IV ACH (mean age = 10.53, SD = 2.50; mean education = 4.6, SD = 2.47). Vocabulary was controlled for. Results The results indicated a significant correlation between the WJ-IV ACH Reading Fluency and the WISC-V Processing Speed Index r(87) = 0.326, p = 0.002. Conclusions Previous research has found that deficits in processing speed affect reading efficiency. Cognitive processes are affected even in children with ADHD who are able to decode words accurately. Processing speed, specifically Coding in the WISC-IV, was found to be significantly associated with verbal span and measures of working memory. Moreover, processing speed and working memory have been found to be significant predictors of oral reading fluency (Jacobson et al., 2011). The current findings confirm a correlation between processing speed and reading fluency in updated versions of the forementioned assessments. Future research should investigate the role of comorbid diagnosis found in the functioning of both processing speed and reading fluency.

Teaching reading: Research into practice

2014 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 387-397 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Macalister
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Reading Fluency ◽  
Classroom Practice ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Teaching Reading ◽  
Extensive Reading ◽  
Language Teacher Education ◽  
L2 Reading ◽  
Teaching Of Reading ◽  
Intensive Reading

In pre-service and in-service language teacher education, and in curriculum-related projects in second and foreign language settings, a recurrent issue is the failure to relate the teaching of reading to reading as a meaning-making activity. In this paper, I will consider what current research on second language (L2) reading has actually succeeded in bringing to the classroom. In doing this, I will examine the three obvious candidates for inclusion in a reading programme: extensive reading, reading fluency development, and intensive reading. For each of these I will give my perspective on what's getting through to teachers, and what isn’t, and my best guess as to why it isn’t. This leads to suggestions about areas for further research and other actions that need to be taken to improve classroom practice.

ICTs and the Communicative Conditions for Democracy

2011 ◽  
pp. 85-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seija Ridell
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Public Communication ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Action Research Project ◽  
Mainstream Media ◽  
New Information ◽  
Concrete Action ◽  
Experimental Project ◽  
Information And Communication

In this chapter, the contribution of new information and communication technologies to enhancing democracy at the local level is articulated as a practical and empirical question that pertains to the locally established patterns and practices of public communication. It is suggested that in order to realize the democratic potential inherent in ICTs, the compartmentalized, hierarchical and one-way practices of both administrative-political machinery and the mainstream media must be exposed and challenged through concrete action. The article draws upon a participatory action research project in which alternative, dialogical and citizen-oriented forms of web-mediated public communication were created and maintained in close collaboration with grass-roots civic actors and groups. In the experimental project, specific efforts were made to enable and encourage online encounters between those local stakeholders that rarely meet in the discursive public spaces of mainstream media.

Facilitating Knowledge Sharing in E-Governance

2012 ◽  
pp. 149-172
Author(s):  
Jarkko Bamberg ◽  
Pauliina Lehtonen
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Action Research Project ◽  
Neighborhood Participation ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Rational Knowledge ◽  
The City

This chapter introduces a case study that aimed at developing practices of neighborhood participation by utilizing information and communication technologies. A participatory action research project organized a citizen panel in the neighborhood of Tesoma in the city of Tampere, Finland. The panel tried to find meaningful ways for residents to influence the development of their neighborhood. The central aim was to articulate and mediate their local knowledge to administration that traditionally leans on technical-rational knowledge. The case study suggests that interactive online spatial displays have potential to facilitate meaningful exchange of information by three mechanisms of translation: 1) by giving access to information from viewpoints familiar to the residents, 2) aiding the translation of technical-rational information of public administration for citizens with illustrative visualizations, and 3) giving residents multimodal means of producing input to administrators and planners. Interactive online spatial displays, such as interactive maps and simulations, are considered to work particularly well as translating devices supporting these mechanisms.

scholarly journals Does Use of Text-to-Speech and Related Read-Aloud Tools Improve Reading Comprehension for Students With Reading Disabilities? A Meta-Analysis

2017 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah G. Wood ◽  
Jerad H. Moxley ◽  
Elizabeth L. Tighe ◽  
Richard K. Wagner
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Read Aloud ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Text To Speech ◽  
Speech Technology ◽  
Random Effects Models ◽  
Written Text ◽  
Moderating Variables ◽  
Weighted Effect Size

Text-to-speech and related read-aloud tools are being widely implemented in an attempt to assist students’ reading comprehension skills. Read-aloud software, including text-to-speech, is used to translate written text into spoken text, enabling one to listen to written text while reading along. It is not clear how effective text-to-speech is at improving reading comprehension. This study addresses this gap in the research by conducting a meta-analysis on the effects of text-to-speech technology and related read-aloud tools on reading comprehension for students with reading difficulties. Random effects models yielded an average weighted effect size of ([Formula: see text] = .35, with a 95% confidence interval of .14 to .56, p < .01). Moderator effects of study design were found to explain some of the variance. Taken together, this suggests that text-to-speech technologies may assist students with reading comprehension. However, more studies are needed to further explore the moderating variables of text-to-speech and read-aloud tools’ effectiveness for improving reading comprehension. Implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.

ICTs and the Communicative Conditions for Democracy

2008 ◽  
pp. 840-861
Author(s):  
Seija Ridell
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Public Communication ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Action Research Project ◽  
Mainstream Media ◽  
New Information ◽  
Concrete Action ◽  
Experimental Project ◽  
Information And Communication

In this chapter, the contribution of new information and communication technologies to enhancing democracy at the local level is articulated as a practical and empirical question that pertains to the locally established patterns and practices of public communication. It is suggested that in order to realize the democratic potential inherent in ICTs, the compartmentalized, hierarchical and one-way practices of both administrative-political machinery and the mainstream media must be exposed and challenged through concrete action. The article draws upon a participatory action research project in which alternative, dialogical and citizen-oriented forms of web-mediated public communication were created and maintained in close collaboration with grass-roots civic actors and groups. In the experimental project, specific efforts were made to enable and encourage online encounters between those local stakeholders that rarely meet in the discursive public spaces of mainstream media.

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