A mixed-method approach to exploring the collaborative practice of prosody features in computer-assisted pronunciation training (CAPT): A case study of Algerian undergraduate EFL students

Computer-assisted pronunciation training (CAPT) represents an alternative environment for English as a foreign language (EFL) learners to practice pronunciation in a stress-free environment through a self-paced process with immediate and personalized feedback. However, despite emerging evidence on the effectiveness of collaboration with technology, much of the previous research on CAPT has focused on the individual practice employing quantitative measurements that provided learning results yet did not fully explain the learning process. This study, therefore, attempts to explore collaborative CAPT of prosody through a quasi-experimental design employing a mixed-method approach. Such inquiry is especially important in the Algerian EFL classroom where pronunciation instruction focuses mainly on phonemes while prosody features are sidelined due to the lack of teacher training and practice materials. To do this, 18 Algerian adult EFL learners enrolled in pronunciation training sessions once a week for six weeks to practice syllable stress, sentence stress, and intonation using the CAPT system Tell Me More. Participants were randomly assigned to a control group receiving no treatment and two experimental groups, a collaborative CAPT group in which students practiced in pairs, and an individual CAPT group where students practiced individually. Participants' pronunciation output was recorded through read-aloud activities before and after the intervention and analyzed in terms of prosodic quality and overall comprehensibility. The training sessions were video recorded, and participants’ perceptions were documented in learning logs and semi-structured interviews, all of which were analyzed thematically. Although the pronunciation learning results did not show significant learning development in participants' prosodic quality and overall comprehensibility, the qualitative results showed a promoted independent and engaging practice environment in collaborative CAPT as opposed to a teacher reliant and monotonous individual CAPT. Such results highlighted the potential advantages and challenges of collaborative CAPT of prosody for EFL teachers interested in integrating this technology.