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[LongShiKong]

I've asked this question elsewhere but gotten little feedback. I'm not sure why given the value audio, video and recording tech can have in oral language instruction...but then there are the Luddites among us who disapprove of anything electronic, fearing their obsolescence perhaps.

I've only ever tried EyeSpeak, just one among this detailed list of over 20 CALL pronunciation software titles and found the overall design and diagrams useful but what should be the main function of the software---to provide usable feedback as to how your pronunciation differs from that of native speakers---was so ill-conceived as to render results useless if not misleading. If all it did was allow you to compare your voice with that of a variety of native speakers, it would have more value. That was a few years ago, perhaps they've real-world tested it by now.

[Sashadroogie]

I must be a Luddite then. I really have no faith in the efficacy of any of these pron programmes at all.Though I hasten to add, I have not tried them all, and live in hope that there may be something effective out there.

A small hope, though, for many of the ones I have seen seem to me to be misconceived. Sure, it is logical to assume that providing detailed diagrams and descriptions of what parts of your mouth should be where when pronouncing a sound would lead to increased awareness on the learners' part. And even perhaps to more accurate output. But my experience is that it does very little to aid learners at all. I'm not sure why this is so, but that sadly does seem to be the case.

It appears to me that programmes such as these are just another example of a shiny toy for language learners, who are not serious, to pass their time with.

[fat_chris]