Developing Web-Based English Reading-Aloud Practice App with Dictation Method Using Speech Recognition Technology

Reading Aloud has been proven by numerous researches for its effectiveness to enhance not only reading aloud fluency but also pronunciation, vocabulary, comprehension, and many other aspects of language competences. Thus, reading aloud capability has become one of the important parts of Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic. Providing reading aloud activities to English as Second Language (ESL)/English as Foreign Language (EFL) students can open opportunities for them to propel their English skills. Students need to see their achievement in practicing reading aloud. Their English teacher is mostly invited to check it by listening to the reading. This practice takes more effort and time in that they cannot flexibly arrange the time to get feedback from the teacher as a reviewer at any time. As PTE Academic used a computerized test to score reading aloud ability, it is necessary to develop an app for students to practice reading aloud that comes with grading and evaluating system so that students can monitor their own progress based on the scorecard. In response to that matter, we propose developing a web-based app for reading-aloud practice and grading to enhance reading aloud fluency. In this study, we focused on the usability. Thus, we examine it using Nielsen Heuristics testing. The result shows that the heuristic aspects related to feedback, error message, reversible actions, and document were mostly violated in which all reviewer rated 100% for serverity level 4. Thus, we need to better the these heuristic aspects before the app can be used by real users.