ESL509

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is taking the world by storm. Developers are creating solutions for everyday problems using technology. English Language Learners can now use the mobile app ELSA  to improve their pronunciation. This technology allows the users to go through over a thousand lessons using ELSA, and practice speaking. "Elsa claims its speech recognition technology can detect English pronunciation mistakes with 95 percent accuracy. " EdSurge  An interview with Vu Van , the CEO and co-founder of ELSA,  revealed that the creation of ELSA was based on her personal journey of being an English Language Learner. She describes in the interview that she understood the grammar, vocabulary and usage of English, however people had difficulty understanding her when she spoke. This caused her to be dismissed in academic situations as well as in her career, so Van began work on a solution. Speech Therapists can be very costly for adults, so the Artificial Intelligence behin...

Don't let our spaceship crash! Video games have a way of capturing the interest of children. From the detailed graphics, to the never ending challenges, it seems students could get lost in the cyber-world for days. Spaceteam ESL combines online gaming and learning English into one engaging experience. Spaceteam ESL is a game played in groups, or teams. In order for your team to "survive" you must communicate by speaking and listening to each other. The player must read the direction on there screen such as, "Push Yellow," and their teammate must respond by pushing the button that reads "yellow." At the same time, that player needs to read the command on their screen for their teammates.  An example of a two-player game ( source ). Apparently, (I am behind the times) Spaceteam is a popular, already established game. The creators of the ESL version used the same excitement, (and choas) but paired it with beginner English words. The ga...