# Automatic Speech Recognition of Non-Native Child Speech for Language Learning Applications

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2306.16710 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2306.16710/

## Key facts

- Cited by 3 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 3 of its 17 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 29 Jun 2023.

## Builds on (most cited first, 3 of 3)

- [Robust Speech Recognition via Large-Scale Weak Supervision](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2212.04356/) (2022)
- [wav2vec 2.0: A Framework for Self-Supervised Learning of Speech Representations](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2006.11477/) (2020)
- [WhisperX: Time-Accurate Speech Transcription of Long-Form Audio](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2303.00747/) (2023)

## Built on by (most cited first, 3 of 3)

- [Enhancing conversational quality in language learning chatbots: An evaluation of GPT4 for ASR error correction](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2307.09744/) (2023)
- [A Pilot Study of Applying Sequence-to-Sequence Voice Conversion to Evaluate the Intelligibility of L2 Speech Using a Native Speaker's Shadowings](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2410.02239/) (2024)
- [LLMersion: A Local-First AI Agent Framework for Low-Cost Home Language Learning toward Educational Equity](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2609.29672/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Voicebots have provided a new avenue for supporting the development of language skills, particularly within the context of second language learning. Voicebots, though, have largely been geared towards native adult speakers. We sought to assess the performance of two state-of-the-art ASR systems, Wav2Vec2.0 and Whisper AI, with a view to developing a voicebot that can support children acquiring a foreign language. We evaluated their performance on read and extemporaneous speech of native and non-native Dutch children. We also investigated the utility of using ASR technology to provide insight into the children's pronunciation and fluency. The results show that recent, pre-trained ASR transformer-based models achieve acceptable performance from which detailed feedback on phoneme pronunciation quality can be extracted, despite the challenging nature of child and non-native speech.