Content Category
Literary Criticism
Abstract/Description
The relationship between speaking and writing, specifically how speech can help us improve writing, has been discussed extensively by composition scholars (Leander and Prior 2004; Elbow 2012). However, little empirical research has been done to support these theories of how speech affects writing. In this paper, I report on a preliminary study I performed to discover this connection, specifically looking at how speech-recognition software could be used to help inexperienced writers overcome problems like writer’s block or unnatural phrasing. By having students compose aloud for 15 minutes and then interviewing them about the process, I learned that speech recognition software allowed students to explore ideas more thoroughly and write more naturally, provided students saw the value of a speech-like tone in formal writing. With further research in this area, speech-recognition software could potentially become a valuable part of the first-year composition classroom.
Copyright and Licensing of My Content
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Location
B103 JFSB
Start Date
20-3-2015 8:30 AM
End Date
20-3-2015 10:00 AM
Included in
The Power of Speech: Speech-Recognition Software in the Writing Process
B103 JFSB
The relationship between speaking and writing, specifically how speech can help us improve writing, has been discussed extensively by composition scholars (Leander and Prior 2004; Elbow 2012). However, little empirical research has been done to support these theories of how speech affects writing. In this paper, I report on a preliminary study I performed to discover this connection, specifically looking at how speech-recognition software could be used to help inexperienced writers overcome problems like writer’s block or unnatural phrasing. By having students compose aloud for 15 minutes and then interviewing them about the process, I learned that speech recognition software allowed students to explore ideas more thoroughly and write more naturally, provided students saw the value of a speech-like tone in formal writing. With further research in this area, speech-recognition software could potentially become a valuable part of the first-year composition classroom.