Using Artificial Intelligence Tools for Developing Conversational Skills for English Majors

Nguyen Thi Hong Minh; Le Duy Khanh

doi:10.59573/emsj.8(2).2024.40

Authors

Nguyen Thi Hong Minh
Le Duy Khanh

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.59573/emsj.8(2).2024.40

Keywords:

Virtual Conversation Assistants, AI tools, conversational skills, Call Annie, Praktika

Abstract

Despite the potential of Virtual Conversation Assistants as effective tools for conversing support in developing students’ conversational skills, their presence in Vietnamese schools or universities remains limited, often due to cost constraints, quality of language interaction, and their unpopularity among Vietnamese students. Therefore, it is essential that English language educators seek alternative strategies to offer additional assistance for the enhancement of students' abilities to converse effectively. This experimental study pilots the implementation of Call Annie and Praktika, two artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in a local teacher education university in Vietnam, as an innovative approach to the fostering of students' conversational skills. The research discusses the utilization of two such virtual conversational assistant tools for a group of 14 English major freshmen as the experimental group, examining their impacts on the development of students’ conversational proficiency compared to another 14 students in the control group. The study findings analyzed indicate that there was a remarkable improvement in the experimental group’s conversational skills regarding their initiation of conversation, and their active listening through two AI tools. Moreover, there was also remarkable improvement in their verbal fluency and clarity; which contributed to their adaptability, flexibility, and conversational engagement. Moreover, it suggests further application of AI tools in educational contexts to facilitate the instruction and reinforcement of students' conversational skills, where human expertise seamlessly integrates with the power of AI tools to create a more effectively expanded language learning environment.

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