Google translate’s ASR for Vietnamese tone pronunciation: an exploratory study with Thai students

Vietnamese tone pronunciation challenges Thai students due to tonal system differences. While Google Translate’s Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) shows promise in pronunciation teaching, its effectiveness for tonal languages remains understudied. This exploratory study investigated Google Translate’s ASR impact on Thai students’ Vietnamese tone pronunciation accuracy and perceptions. Using quasi-experimental design, 27 Thai students were allocated to control and experimental groups over 12 weeks. Results showed significantly higher accuracy in experimental group (M = 25.14) versus control (M = 22.31) with large effect size (d = 0.96). Students perceived the technology as effective, providing immediate feedback and reducing anxiety. Despite limitations, Google Translate’s ASR shows promise as supplementary tool, proposing a Strategic Integration Model addressing educational equity.