Method of and system for providing adaptive respondent training in a speech recognition application based upon the inherent response of the respondent

1. A method of conducting an automated, telephonic, speaker-independent speech recognition application, comprising:

A. making telephonic contact with a respondent;

B. presenting the respondent with at least one introductory speech-generated prompt requesting an audio response from the respondent to initially determine whether the respondent understands how to interact with the automated, telephonic, speaker-independent speech recognition application before generating the application;

C. utilizing an automated, speaker-independent speech recognition algorithm to analyze the audio response given by the respondent to the introductory speech-generated prompt; and

D. based on the audio response, automatically adapting the speech recognition application by performing the following steps:

D1. automatically providing branches for further explanation or instructions;

D2. automatically providing branches for providing examples or practice sessions; and

D3. automatically altering the pace or speed of verbal prompts given by the automated, telephonic, speaker-independent speech recognition application.

2. A method of conducting an automated, telephonic, speaker-independent speech recognition application according to claim 1 , further comprising automatically generating an explanation of the operation of said speech recognition application including automatically generating a training exercise for the respondent, without the need for human intervention.

3. A method of conducting an automated, telephonic, speaker-independent speech recognition application according to claim 2 , further comprising automatically generating a training exercise for the respondent including automatically prompting the respondent to provide a prescribed response.

4. A method of conducting an automated, telephonic, speaker-independent speech recognition application according to claim 3 , wherein automatically generating a training exercise for the respondent includes automatically determining whether the respondent provides the prescribed response, and if so, automatically generating the automated, telephonic, speaker-independent speech recognition application, without the need for human intervention.

5. A method of conducting an automated, telephonic, speaker-independent speech recognition application according to claim 3 , wherein automatically generating a training exercise for the respondent includes automatically determining whether the respondent provides the prescribed response, and if not, automatically generating an end of call stage.

6. A system for conducting an automated, telephonic speaker-independent speech recognition application, comprising:

an automated telephone device for making telephonic contact with a respondent; and

a speech recognition device which, upon said telephonic contact being made, is configured to present the respondent, prior to conducting the automated, telephonic speaker-independent speech recognition application, with at least one introductory prompt for the respondent to reply to; receive a spoken response from the respondent; and perform a speech recognition analysis on said spoken response to determine the capability of the respondent to complete the application;

wherein said speech recognition device is configured to, if and only if said speech recognition device determines, based on (i) the speech recognition analysis on said spoken response to said introductory prompt, and (ii) the determined capability of the respondent, that the respondent is capable of interacting with and completing said application, automatically present, without the need for human intervention, the automated, telephonic speaker-independent speech recognition application to said respondent; and

automatically provide branches for further explanation or instructions;

automatically provide branches for providing examples or practice sessions; and

automatically alter the pace or speed of verbal prompts given by the automated, telephonic, speaker-independent speech recognition application.

7. A system for conducting an automated, telephonic speaker-independent speech recognition application according to claim 6 , wherein if said speech recognition device, based on said spoken response to said introductory prompt, automatically determines that the respondent is not capable of completing said application, said speech recognition system is configured so as to automatically present instructions on completing said application to the respondent including generating a training exercise for the respondent, without the need for human intervention.

8. A system for conducting an automated, telephonic speaker-independent speech recognition application according to claim 7 , wherein the training exercise for the respondent automatically generated by said speech recognition system is configured so as to include a prompt to the respondent to provide a prescribed response.

9. A system for conducting an automated, telephonic speaker-independent speech recognition application according to claim 8 , wherein the training exercise for the respondent is configured so as to automatically generate the automated, telephonic, speaker-independent speech recognition application if it is determined that the respondent provides the prescribed response.

10. A system for conducting an automated, telephonic speaker-independent speech recognition application according to claim 8 , wherein the training exercise for the respondent is configured to automatically generate an end of call stage if it is determined that the respondent does not provide the prescribed response.