THE IMPACT OF AI-POWERED SPEAKING TOOLS ON EFL STUDENTS AT NGUYEN TAT THANH UNIVERSITY

This study aims to explore the perceptions of English majors on how AI-powered speaking tools such as ChatGPT, ELSA Speak, Duolingo, etc. positively impact learners’ language learning journey. The research focused on learners’ experiences, satisfaction and opinions about using AI-powered speaking tools. Fifty intermediate and upper intermediate students at Nguyen Tat Thanh University volunteered to complete a survey and participated in follow-up interviews. The results show that most students valued the benefits of AI-powered speaking tools in facilitating their pronunciation, fluency, accuracy and confidence in speaking. They found immediate feedback by AI-powered speaking tools helpful for learners in identifying and correcting their mistakes. However, some concerns were also raised such as the cost of the premium version, occasional misunderstandings by the AI and robotic responses. Overall, while learners viewed AI-powered speaking tools as useful for practice, most emphasized that real teachers still play a crucial role. In other words, learners work best when they combine these tools with guidance from teachers. These insights point to the value of integrating AI into language learning in ways that support, rather than replace, human instruction. Besides, the findings offer suggestions for educators, institutions, and developers to combine AI-powered speaking tools in their curriculum, support learners and teachers and improve features of these tools to bring learners the best experiences.