AI Improved Student Experience with Pronunciation

Summary:

AI has allowed a language education company to significantly improve student experience with pronunciation assessment for 500,000 learners and reduce product development costs. 

Client: 

Berlitz is a language education company specializing in language learning founded in 1878.

Problem Statement: 

In recent years, Berlitz has seen an increasing demand from customers for more flexibility in their learning while maintaining its emphasis on spoken language practice, even in online settings. They began exploring how to harness technology to deliver scalable language training solutions.

Results: 

• Significantly reduced student frustration, allowing them to progress more easily and ultimately achieve greater success in their language learning.
• A more engaging experience helping learners build a stronger human connection.
• Significantly reduced product development costs and accelerated the time to market for introducing new products and languages into their portfolio.

AI Solution Overview:

Berlitz partnered with Microsoft to implement Azure AI Speech technology, an advanced Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) system. ASR converts spoken words into text by analyzing audio signals and identifying phonetic patterns. With its advanced models trained on extensive audio data, Azure AI Speech can accurately recognize a wide range of accents, dialects, and speech patterns.

The integration of Azure AI Speech, particularly its pronunciation assessment features, addressed the shortcomings of traditional speech-to-text solutions. This resulted in a significantly enhanced student experience and enabled Berlitz to reach thousands of new learners.

In addition, Berlitz utilized Azure AI Speech Studio and its text-to-speech capabilities to generate high-quality voices with a variety of native accents and speaker profiles. This allowed them to deliver authentic learning experiences at a fraction of the cost and time required to hire traditional voice actors.

References: 

1. Berlitz empowered 500,000 language learners using Azure AI Speech. https://customers.microsoft.com/en-us/story/1650519804730300378-berlitz-language-azure-ai-speech-usa
2. 5 AI Case Studies in Education. https://www.vktr.com/ai-disruption/5-ai-case-studies-in-education/

Industry: Education Services

Vendor: Microsoft

Client: Berlitz 

Publication Date: 2023