![]() “We use AI and the ASR to identify the mistakes that people make when they speak English. “Since then, it’s been a lot of model training, retraining, adding more data, and fine-tuning. Multiple levels of AI have been part of the core technology since the beginning,” she explains. From this initial data set, the platform’s automatic speech recognizer (ASR) was born. They canvassed different acoustic environments, asking beta testers to speak in situations ranging from silent rooms to noisy street corners. They started in Vietnam, paying passersby to speak English into an early prototype of the app for 20 minutes at a time. So Van and her team had to hit the streets to collect their own data. The platform doesn’t rely upon existing APIs like the ones behind popular voice-recognition tools like Google Translate, Alexa, or Siri. Getting ELSA off the ground involved some manual legwork. “Since then, it’s been a lot of model training, retraining, adding more data, and fine-tuning.” Photo courtesy of ELSA. “Multiple levels of AI have been part of the core technology since the beginning,” she explains. There’s a free version for both iOS and Android, but to unlock all the content (including the dictionary), users must purchase the PRO version.ĪI and machine learning are the beating heart of ELSA, says Van. The platform features more than 3,000 lessons that cover common English idioms, 10-minute daily practice sessions, and an interactive pronunciation dictionary. The app functions as a pronunciation coach in your pocket, using proprietary speech recognition technology and personalized, gamified programming to give users instant feedback via short, fun dialogues. A pronunciation coach in your pocketįive years ago, Van founded ELSA Speak, a platform fueled by artificial intelligence (AI) that helps non-native English learners improve their speaking skills. “I had the idea that maybe I could replicate the solution and democratize it so that a billion more language learners who face the same challenge could use it-but at a fraction of the cost,” she says. Van wanted to create a more accessible way for people to perfect the nuances of speaking English. ![]() Coworkers stopped asking her to repeat herself.īut she quickly realized that this solution represented a gap in the market: Speech therapist coaches are cost-prohibitive for most language learners-they tend to charge anywhere from $100-300 per hour. In short order, her pronunciation became clearer. Photo courtesy of ELSA.ĭetermined to improve, Van hired a speech therapist as a one-on-one coach. You start feeling embarrassed and withdrawing into yourself because you’ve lost your confidence,” she recalls. “Every time I spoke, people would ask me to repeat myself, and they’d just keep asking over and over. She aced language tests at school.īut when she went out into the workforce, she had a rude awakening: Despite her extensive education, many coworkers still had trouble understanding her. She took the immersion approach, living in Denmark before moving to California to pursue a master’s degree at Stanford University. She watched American television shows and listened to music in English. ![]() She attended classes in her home country of Vietnam. ![]() Energy, Climate Action & Sustainabilityĭuring Vu Van’s 20-plus year journey learning English, she explored just about every available avenue to perfect her skills.
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