THE IMPACT OF AI PRONUNCIATION TOOLS ON SEGMENTAL ACCURACY IN ADULT L2 LEARNERS

Abstract

The proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI)-driven pronunciation tools has opened new avenues for second language (L2) phonological development, particularly in the domain of segmental accuracy. This article reviews and synthesizes empirical evidence on the effectiveness of AI pronunciation tools- including automated speech recognition (ASR)-based applications, text-tospeech (TTS) systems, and intelligent computer-assisted language learning (ICALL) platforms - in improving the segmental accuracy of adult L2 learners. Key issues including the role of the critical period hypothesis, interlanguage phonology, and learner motivation are also considered.