AI As An Interactive Partner In Primary Elt: A Systematic Review On Mitigating Speaking Anxiety And Enhancing Oral Skills

Despite expanding research on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in English Language Teaching (ELT), systematic synthesis regarding its role in mitigating primary school learners' speaking anxiety remains limited. Guided by PRISMA, this systematic review and bibliometric study analyzed 31 articles (2026) from Google Scholar to examine research trends and AI's pedagogical contribution to young EFL learners' oral development. Bibliometric mapping identified Indonesia, Malaysia, and the US as leading contributors. Content analysis showed that 48.38% of studies focus on language development, with voice-based tools (chatbots and speech recognition) functioning as interactive partners that reduce anxiety and foster learner autonomy. However, a significant gap remains in consistent theoretical grounding. This study highlights AI's potential for primary EFL instruction, emphasizing teacher digital competence and stronger pedagogical alignment for future practice. Keywords: Artificial Intelligence; English Language Teaching; Speaking Skills; Primary School Students.