Computer-Assisted Pronunciation Training and Assessment (CAPTA) Programs: Requirements, the Current State of Affairs, and Challenges for the Future

Pedagogical support for pronunciation tends to fall behind other areas of applied linguistics and CALL (Computer-Assisted Language Learning) due to technological difficulty in speech recognition and the lack of knowledge in phonetics of both language teachers and learners. This chapter discusses the gap between the need for pronunciation training and the capacity of CAPTA programs in terms of phonetic and phonological development of second-language (L2) learners. Pronunciation difficulties experienced by L2 learners will be explained cross-linguistically, and the most recent developments in the production of CAPTA programs will be discussed in relation to the type of pronunciation errors dealt with by these programs. Considering that native-like pronunciation is no longer required in the current multi-lingual society, the author proposes achievable and pedagogically sound goals for the development of CAPTA programs as well as for L2 learners.

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