AI-Enhanced Academic Speaking Skills: A Qualitative Investigation of Digital Tool Integration in Indonesian EFL University Context

Authors

  • Selvi Panggua

    English Education Study Program, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Kristen Indonesia Toraja, Makale 91811, Indonesia
  • Nehru Pasoloran Pongsapan

    English Education Study Program, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Kristen Indonesia Toraja, Makale 91811, Indonesia
  • Hamid Ismail

    Institut Sains dan Kependidikan (ISDIK) Kie Raha Maluku Utara, Ternate 122002, Indonesia
  • Yosef Patandung

    Fakultas Keguruan dan Ilmu Pendidikan Kristen, Institut Agama Kristen Negeri Toraja, Tana Toraja 91871, Indonesia
  • Rachel

    English Education Study Program, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Kristen Indonesia Toraja, Makale 91811, Indonesia
  • Johana Ruadjanna Tangirerung

    Theology Department, Faculty of Theology, Universitas Kristen Indonesia Toraja, Rantepao 91835, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i8.10763
Received: 27 June 2025 | Revised: 2 July 2025 | Accepted: 8 July 2025 | Published Online: 4 August 2025

Abstract

Academic speaking proficiency represents a critical competency for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners in higher education. Traditional skill approaches often fail to provide adequate individualized feedback and authentic practice opportunities, particularly in resource-constrained Indonesian university contexts. This qualitative case study explores the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in academic speaking and how they affect the development of oral competency, self-assurance, and independent learning practices in EFL learners. We used a qualitative case study approach to gather information from 15 second-year English education students at a private Indonesian university over the course of six weeks through semi-structured interviews, systematic classroom observations, and artefact analysis. Structured speech initiatives incorporated artificial intelligence (AI) techniques such as ChatGPT, text-to-speech programs,and pronunciation feedback systems. The six-phase theme analysis framework developed by Braun and Clarke, validated by several researchers, was used to analyze the data. The analysis revealed four main themes: increased learner autonomy and self-regulation, improved pronunciation and fluency through instantaneous AI feedback, improved self-confidence through nonjudgmental practice environments, and ongoing difficulties with vocabulary acquisition and the development of metacognitive strategies. AI-assisted speech projects show great promise for improving academic speaking proficiency among EFL learners, especially in the areas of targeted skill improvement and confidence building. However, effective integration necessitates thoughtful educational design that maintains human connection for the development of pragmatic and cultural competence while addressing enduring difficulties in lexical development and metacognitive strategy abilities.

Keywords:

EFL Students; Academic Speaking Skills; AI-Assisted Learning; English Speech Project; Digital Feedback; Learner Confidence

References

[1] Perse, R.J.P., 2024. Speaking Skills: A Panacea for College Students in the Classroom and in the Workplace. PrePrints.Org. DOI: https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202407.0093.v1

[2] Dang, T., Vu, T., 2020. English-medium instruction in the Australian higher education: untold stories of academics from non-native English-speaking backgrounds. Current Issues in Language Planning. 21, 279–300. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14664208.2019.1641350

[3] Thornbury, S., 2005. How to teach speaking. Pearson Education Limited: Harlow, UK. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315853086

[4] Woodrow, L., 2006. Anxiety and speaking English as a second language. RELC Journal. 37(3), 308–328. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0033688206071315

[5] Abrar, M., Fajaryani, N., Habizar, H., et al., 2022. Exploring EFL Students’ Speaking Anxiety of English Teacher Education Program at One Public University in Jambi. Indonesian Journal of EFL and Linguistics. 7(1). DOI: https://doi.org/10.21462/ijefl.v7i1.457

[6] Fajaryani, N., Herliza, G., Ali, R.M., 2023. EFL Students’ Challenges In Learning Speaking Skills During Online-to-Offline Transition Era. Ethical Lingua: Journal of Language Teaching and Literature. 10(2). DOI: https://doi.org/10.30605/25409190.602.

[7] Al-Nouh, N.A., Abdul-Kareem, M.M., Taqi, H.A., 2015. EFL college students' perceptions of the difficulties in oral presentation as a form of assessment. International Journal of Higher Education. 4(1), 136–150. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5430/ijhe.v4n1p136

[8] Goh, C.C.M., Burns, A., 2012. Teaching Speaking: a Holistic Approach. Cambridge University Press: New York, USA.

[9] Hoang, N., Tran, T., Mai, N., 2015. Factors Affecting Students’ Speaking Performance at Le Thanh Hien High School. Asian Journal of Educational Research. 3(2).

[10] Panggua, S., 2019. The Role of Students’ Personality in Learning English at Christian University of Indonesia Toraja. Cura Animarum. 1(1), 56–69.

[11] Richards, J.C., 2006. Communicative language teaching today. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511755378

[12] Pearlman, B., Thomas, J.W., 2000. Former President of the Autodesk Foundation. Available from: http://www.bie.org/research/study/review_of_project_based_learning_2000 (cited 23 May 2025).

[13] Vela, J., Botero, J.G., 2022. Project Based Learning as A Booster of Oral Skills in The EFL Classroom. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/370521861 (cited 30 April 2025).

[14] Stoller, F.L., 2010. Project Work: A Means to Promote Language and Content. In: Richard, J.C., Renandya W.A. (eds.). Methodology in Language Teaching: An Anthology of Current Practice. Cambridge University Press: London, UK. pp. 107–120.

[15] Shi, C., Kassim, A., Radzuan, N.R.M., 2024. Improving EFL Learners’ English Public Speaking Performance through Project-based Learning Strategy at Tertiary Level. Language Teaching Research Quarterly. 42, 126–144. DOI: https://doi.org/10.32038/ltrq.2024.42.08

[16] Beckett, G.H., Miller, P.C. (eds.), 2006. Project-based second and foreign language education: Past, present, and future. Information Age Publishing: Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263108080662

[17] Godwin-Jones, R., 2022. Partnering with AI: Intelligent writing assistance and instructed language learning. Language Learning & Technology. 26(2), 5–24. DOI: http://doi.org/10125/73474

[18] Aeni, N., M. Muthmainnah, A.E., Ahmed, Y., 2024. The Future of Business Is Intelligence in Education AI for Efficiency, Innovation, and Growth. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for Sustainable Development. Taylor & Francis Group: Boca Raton, USA.

[19] Akhmad, N.W., Munawir, A., 2022. Improving the Students’ Pronunciation Ability by Using Elsa Speak App. IDEAS: Journal on English Language Teaching and Learning, Linguistics and Literature. 10(1), 846–857. DOI: http://doi.org/10.24256/ideas.v10i1.2868

[20] Kasneci, E., Sessler, K., Küchemann, S., et al., 2023. ChatGPT for good? On opportunities and challenges of large language models for education. Learning and Individual Differences. 103, 102274. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2023.102274

[21] Vygotsky, L.S., Cole, M., John-Steiner, V., et al., 1978. Mind in Society. The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. JSTOR: London, UK.

[22] de J. Sales, A., 2020. The Output Hypothesis and its influence in the second language learning/teaching: An interview with Merrill Swain. Interfaces adota sistema de fluxo contínuo. v20. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15210/interfaces.v20i0.18775

[23] Amrate, M., Tsai, P.H., 2024. Computer-assisted pronunciation training: A systematic review. ReCALL. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0958344024000181

[24] Simpson, L.P., Jones, M., Taylor, 2018. Evaluating the Use of Automated Feedback on Student Motivation. Innov Pharm, 1–8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24926/iip.v9i2.984

[25] Schwieter, J., Benati, A., 2019. Pedagogical Interventions and Approaches. In: Schwieter, J.W., Benati, A. (eds.). The Cambridge Handbook of Language Learning. Cambridge Handbooks in Language and Linguistics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press: London, UK. pp. 475–646.

[26] Fathi, J., Rahimi, M., Derakshan, A., 2024. Improving EFL learners’ speaking skills and willingness to communicate via artificial intelligence-mediated interactions. 121. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2024.103254

[27] Rachmawati, D.L., Oktafiah, Y., Hastari, S., 2024. Exploring Learner Perceptions and Motivation of AI-Assisted Writing Tools in English for Specific Purposes Classrooms. Available from: https://prosiding.aripi.or.id/index.php/ICGEL (cited 3 April 2025).

[28] Hashemifardnia, A., Kooti, M., 2025. AI-Mediated Language Learning and EFL Learners’ Self-Confidence, Self-Regulation, Well-Being, and L2 Motivation: A Mixed Method Study. English Education Journal. 16(2), 109–124. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24815/eej.v16i2.45696.

[29] Mihas, P., 2022. Qualitative research methods: approaches to qualitative data analysis. International Encyclopedia of Education: Fourth Edition. 302–313. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-818630-5.11029-2

[30] Robertson, D., 2011. Case Studies. International Encyclopedia of Housing and Home. 117–121. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-047163-1.00611-1

[31] Merriam, S.B., 2009. Qualitative Case Studies. In: International Encyclopedia of Education, 3rd ed. Elsevier Ltd.: Amsterdam, Netherlands. pp. 456–462. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-044894-7.01532-3

[32] Stake, R., Visse, M., 2022. Case study research. In: International Encyclopedia of Education, 4th ed. Elsevier Science: Amsterdam, Netherlands. pp. 85–91. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-818630-5.11010-3

[33] Braun, V., Clarke, V., 2006. Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology. 3(2), 77–101. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa

[34] Krashen, S.D., 2009. Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition. Pergamon Press. Inc.: Oxford, UK.

[35] Horwitz, E.K., Horwitz, M.B., Cope, J., 1986. Foreign language classroom anxiety. The Modern Language Journal. 70(2), 125–132. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.1986.tb05256.x

[36] Schamidt, R., 2001. Attention. Cognition and Second Language Instruction. Cambridge University Press: London, UK. pp. 3–32. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139524780.003

[37] Sweller, J., 1994. Cognitive load theory, learning difficulty, and instructional design. Learn Instr. 4(4), 295–312. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0959-4752(94)90003-5

[38] Jessner, U., 2006. Linguistic awareness in multilinguals: English as a third language. Edinburgh University Press: Edinburgh, UK. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/9780748626540

[39] Chapelle, C.A., 2017. Technology and second language acquisition. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics. 37, 15–31. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0267190508070050

Downloads

How to Cite

Panggua, S., Pongsapan, N. P., Ismail, H., Patandung, Y., Rachel, & Tangirerung, J. R. (2025). AI-Enhanced Academic Speaking Skills: A Qualitative Investigation of Digital Tool Integration in Indonesian EFL University Context. Forum for Linguistic Studies, 7(8), 451–465. https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i8.10763

Issue

Vol. 7 , Iss. 8 (August 2025)

Article Type

Article

License

Copyright © 2025 Selvi Panggua, Nehru Pasoloran Pongsapan, Hamid Ismail, Yosef Patandung, Rachel, Johana Ruadjanna Tangirerung

Creative Commons License

This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.