User Experiences from L2 Children Using a Speech Learning Application: Implications for Developing Speech Training Applications for Children
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We investigated user experiences from 117 Finnish children aged between 8 and 12 years in a trial of an English language learning programme that used automatic speech recognition (ASR). We used measures that encompassed both affective reactions and questions tapping into the children' sense of pedagogical utility. We also tested their perception of sound quality and compared reactions of game and nongame-based versions of the application. Results showed that children expressed higher affective ratings for the game compared to nongame version of the application. Children also expressed a preference to play with a friend compared to playing alone or playing within a group. They found that assessment of their speech is useful although they did not necessarily enjoy hearing their own voices. The results are discussed in terms of the implications for user interface (UI) design in speech learning applications for children.
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Previous findings on Pop2TalkNordic user experiences may not generalise to the participants in the present study because they were obtained with a population of 8 to 12-year-olds using the app for second language learning.
“Although Pop2TalkNordic user experiences have been investigated before (Uther et al. 2018), this was done with a population of 8 to 12‐year‐olds who used the app for second language learning. As such, previous findings may not generalise to the participants in the present study.”
From Self‐Supervised App‐Based Speech Training for Children With Speech Sound Disorder—A Single‐Case Experimental Design Study (2026) · cites this paper as Uther et al. 2018
The Abstract and §2.1 describe a user-experience study of 117 Finnish children aged 8–12 using an English-language learning application. However, §§2.2–2.3 identify the application as SIAK, not Pop2TalkNordic, so our copy does not establish that the prior findings concerned the named app. The suggestion that those findings may not generalise is the citing authors’ inference, not a finding attributed to this source. (LLM, conf=0.84)
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The Role of Subjective Quality Judgements in User Preferences for Mobile Learning Apps
Uther, M., & Ylinen, S. (2018) · Education Sciences · doi:10.3390/educsci9010003 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Self-citationStrömbergsson, S., Edlund, E., Pettersson, M., Phan, N., & Kurimo, M. (2026) · International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders · doi:10.1111/1460-6984.70163
“Although Pop2TalkNordic user experiences have been investigated before (Uther et al. 2018), this was done with a population of 8 to 12-year-olds who used the app for second language learning.”
Self-citationUther, M. (2019) · MDPI eBooks · doi:10.3390/books978-3-03897-661-5
Self-citation
- Authors
- Uther, M., Smolander, A.-R., Junttila, K., Kurimo, M., Karhila, R., Enarvi, S., & Ylinen, S.
- Affiliations
- University of Wolverhampton (GB)
- University of Helsinki (FI)
- Aalto University (FI)
- Corresponding author
- Uther, Maria
- Venue
- Advances in Human-Computer Interaction
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2018-11-01
- Volume
- 2018
- Pages
- 1-6
- ISSN
- 1687-5893 (ISSN-L)
- 1687-5907
- OpenAlex
- W2899000126
- Cited by
- 3
- References
- 10
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 1
- FWCI
- 0.98
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Locations
- Advances in Human-Computer Interaction (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Aaltodoc (Aalto University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Työväentutkimus Vuosikirja (submittedVersion)
- Wolverhampton Intellectual Repository and E-Theses (University of Wolverhampton) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Funders
- Academy of Finland (1274058)
- Nokia Foundation (1274058)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Educational Games and Gamification
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Human-Computer Interaction › Usability and User Interface Design
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Human-Computer Interaction › Innovative Human-Technology Interaction
- Keywords
- second language acquisition, children, speech recognition, English as a foreign language, game-based learning, user experience, affective reactions, sound quality perception, speech assessment, user interface design, peer interaction
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