The use of speech synthesis technology based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in digital educational dictionaries
contributions to foreign language pronunciation learning
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14393/DLv20a2026-38Keywords:
Speech synthesis, Digital pedagogical dictionaries, Artificial intelligence, Pronunciation learning, Foreign language teachingAbstract
This scientific article investigates the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based speech synthesis technology in digital pedagogical dictionaries, with emphasis on its contributions to foreign language pronunciation learning. It adopts a theoretical approach grounded in a literature review to analyze benefits such as practicality, personalization, efficiency, acoustic standardization, and control of phonetic-prosodic variables. It also discusses advantages related to privacy, continuous updating of lexicographic content, and the promotion of linguistic diversity in digital educational contexts. It is argued that speech synthesis provides consistent and standardized pronunciation models, supporting oral production learning while reducing common technical issues found in natural speech recordings, such as noise, idiosyncratic variation, and articulatory inconsistencies. Furthermore, the study highlights that this technology contributes to optimizing the development of digital pedagogical dictionaries by reducing production costs, eliminating the need for human speaker recordings, and enabling greater scalability in the inclusion of new lexical entries and usage examples. In the educational field, it is emphasized that access to synthetic speech files fosters the development of listening and articulation skills, as it allows learners to repeatedly access clear, stable, and easily available sound models. In bilingual contexts, the possibility of representing different linguistic varieties more efficiently is also highlighted, expanding students’ exposure to diverse pronunciation patterns. It is concluded that the integration of speech synthesis systems into digital pedagogical dictionaries can enhance the quality of pronunciation teaching in foreign languages by offering reliable, accessible, and pedagogically consistent technological support. Finally, the article suggests expanding the use of this technology in educational environments and encourages future empirical research to investigate its effectiveness in language teaching and contemporary pedagogical lexicography, particularly in the context of developing communicative competence in foreign languages as well as consolidating innovative practices mediated by digital technologies in language teaching and learning.
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