Emerging Technologies Speech Tools and Technologies‪.‬

Using computers to recognize and analyze human speech goes back at least to the 1970's. Developed initially to help the hearing or speech impaired, speech recognition was also used early on experimentally in language learning. Since the 1990's, advances in the scientific understanding of speech as well as significant enhancements in software and hardoare have allowed speech technologies to be robust enough to be deployed in commercial enterprises. At the same time, developments in the fields of linguistics and second language acquisition have led to greater interest in using computers to help in developing speaking and listening skills. As a result, there are now powerful tools and technologies available for speech analysis. There has been significant progress in projects using speech technologies for teaching pronunciation and speaking. Some major commercial language learning software also now features these technologies. New standards are being developed in this area, which should allow advances and innovations to be shared more easily and implemented more widely. Visualization of Speech