Laugh at Your Own Pace: Basic Performance Evaluation of Language Learning Assistance by Adjustment of Video Playback Speeds Based on Laughter Detection
Second-language learners often struggle to comprehend native-speech videos played at natural speed, limiting the efficacy of extensive viewing. To address this, we propose a non-intrusive, adaptive playback rate control method grounded in spontaneous laughter detection. Our approach leverages real-time audio spectrogram analysis and temporal modeling to identify viewers’ natural laughter responses to comedic content—serving as implicit, zero-effort comprehension feedback—and dynamically adjusts playback speed without requiring manual interaction, speech input, or textual annotation. The system integrates a laughter-driven adaptive controller with a TOEIC-based proficiency stratification framework. Empirical evaluation demonstrates that the method significantly improves comprehension accuracy for learners scoring below 700 on the TOEIC, thereby expanding their access to authentic native-speed video resources. This work represents the first application of spontaneous laughter as a real-time, implicit signal for adaptive language comprehension support, establishing a novel paradigm for unobtrusive, marker-free, personalized audiovisual learning.