1. A method for determining whether a user has correctly read a target sentence string, comprising: receiving a sentence array including component words of the target sentence string; processing the sentence array to generate a symbolic representation of the target sentence string, the symbolic representation including a subset of words selected from the component words of the target sentence string, the subset of words having fewer words than the sentence array; receiving user speech input; processing the user speech input to recognize in the user speech input each of the words in the subset of words in the symbolic representation of the target sentence string; and upon recognizing the subset of words in the symbolic representation of the target sentence string, making a determination whether the user has correctly read the target sentence string.