Foreign Language Learners' Perceptions of Chatbot-Assisted Speech-Giving Tasks

With the development of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) technology, many studies advocate for the incorporation of AI technology into traditional teaching. Effective AI integration requires a comprehensive understanding of students' perceptions of innovative learning experiences in specific educational contexts. The study, therefore, examines students' perceptions of a novel task design, the chatbot-assisted speech-giving tasks (CaST), in an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) course among Chinese undergraduates. Data of the study include questionnaire responses from 124 students and 6 semi-structured interviews. Analysis of the quantitate data found that students held very positive views about CaST. The qualitative data triangulated the quantitative data and further revealed specific benefits students perceived in CaST. The contribution of this study is two-fold. First, it advances an in-depth understanding of students' perceptions related to the integration of AI chatbots in authentic classroom contexts, offering insights into the effective integration of generative artificial intelligence technology in foreign language teaching. Second, it suggests potential problems of AI integration in educational contexts that require further attention.