Integration of ChatGPT to enhance English speaking skills among secondary school students in Pakistan

Abstract The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into education is expanding rapidly, particularly in language learning. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a ChatGPT-assisted learning module in enhancing English-speaking proficiency in terms of range, accuracy, fluency, interaction, and coherence among secondary school students. A pre-test-post-test control group experimental design was employed, involving fifty Grade 9 students from a public school who were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. English-speaking proficiency was assessed before and after the intervention through monologue and dialogue speaking tests using the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) rubric. The experimental group received a 12-week ChatGPT-assisted learning module in which ChatGPT was integrated to provide interactive speaking practice through voice- and text-based conversations with feedback, whereas the control group received traditional instruction. Mann–Whitney U tests were employed to compare the speaking proficiency scores and pre-test-to-post-test changes between the experimental and control groups. The findings showed that the experimental group performed significantly better than the control group in both monologue and dialogue tasks, demonstrating notable improvements in lexical range, grammatical accuracy, fluency, interaction, and coherence. These findings support the integration of ChatGPT into English language learning to enhance English-speaking proficiency among secondary school students.