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Speech Assessment API - Overview

Introduction​

This document introduces the Speech Assessment API (SAAPI), a key offering from Language Confidence. SAAPI, the foundation of our product suite, including our Moodle LMS plugin and speaking app platform, offers comprehensive assessments of English speech recordings, evaluating Pronunciation, Fluency, Grammar, Vocabulary, and Relevancy. This document aims to provide developers, educators, customers, and stakeholders with a detailed understanding of the technology behind SAAPI's speech assessment capabilities.

Background and Context​

Market Needs​

Language Confidence identified a gap in the digital English education market, summarized as follows:

  • High global demand for English learning and assessment
  • Traditional tutoring methods are not scalable or cost-effective for widespread market needs.
  • Existing digital English education solutions have limitations, especially in spoken English assessment.
  • The market urgently requires scalable, affordable, and reliable solutions for spoken English teaching and assessment.

Our Solution​

Responding to this need, we developed SAAPI, a suite of APIs enabling automated, scalable, and reliable speech assessment and feedback. Our technology, accessible to Edtech companies and educational institutions, aims to reach a broad audience seeking English proficiency feedback or assessment.

SAAPI includes:

  • Scripted Speech Assessment API: For predetermined content, this API evaluates Fluency and Pronunciation based on audio inputs and corresponding expected text.
  • Unscripted Speech Assessment API: For open-ended responses, this API assesses Pronunciation, Fluency, Grammar, Vocabulary, and Relevancy, considering the context of the user's response.
  • Pronunciation API: Focused on pronunciation assessment in scripted scenarios.

Scoring Methodologies​

Pronunciation​

Our model dissects speech phonetically, comparing it to standard US or UK accents to assign a "nativeness" score. This reflects how closely a speaker's pronunciation mirrors that of a native speaker, broken down by phoneme, word, and the entire transcript. The overall score is derived from the tally of phonemic inaccuracies and the count of correctly pronounced words.

Fluency​

The fluency score is computed by analyzing speech rate, its variation, frequency of long pauses, use of filler words, and the seamless incorporation of connectives and discourse markers.

Grammar​

Our grammar analysis gauges the complexity and variety of grammatical structures, classifying them as SIMPLE, AVERAGE, or COMPLEX. It also identifies grammatical errors. These elements combine to form an overall grammar score.

Vocabulary​

Our vocabulary assessment measures the diversity and sophistication of language use, including the recognition of idiomatic expressions. It classifies vocabulary complexity on the same SIMPLE, AVERAGE, COMPLEX scale, contributing to an aggregate vocabulary score.

Content Relevance​

The content relevance module evaluates the appropriateness of a response to a given question, categorizing it as NOT_RELEVANT, PARTIALLY RELEVANT, or RELEVANT, to reflect the extent of its pertinence.

Conclusion​

The Speech Assessment API (SAAPI) marks a significant advancement in digital English language education, offering a robust and scalable solution for assessing spoken English. Its unique blend of modules for Pronunciation, Fluency, Grammar, Vocabulary, and Relevancy places SAAPI at the forefront of addressing current market gaps in language assessment technology.

The Road Ahead​

As we continue to innovate, SAAPI is set to evolve, bringing more precise, efficient, and user-friendly enhancements. This evolution will further cement its role as a pivotal tool in transforming English language learning and assessment, especially in digital and remote settings.

Engage with Us​

We invite educators, developers, and Edtech companies to explore the integration of SAAPI into their platforms. For more information, collaborations, or demonstrations, please contact us at sales@languageconfidence.com. Join us in shaping the future of English language proficiency assessment.

Language Confidence remains dedicated to pushing the boundaries of language assessment technology, ensuring unparalleled service and user experience.