Developing and Evaluating the e-learning Material for Speaking Practice With the Latest AI Technology

Abstract

Recent years have seen remarkable advancements in information and communication technology (ICT) and artificial intelligence (AI), and many e-learning materials that use ICT and AI have become available on the market. However, none of them has been proven effective at improving speaking skills in English as a Second Language (ESL) and English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms. The author's previous work suggested that speaking practice with voice recognition and an AI scoring system is an effective method because it allows students to practice speaking anytime and anywhere, without a partner. Furthermore, learners' psychological anxiety may be alleviated, eliminating the resistance to speaking English. With AI, learners do not have to feel embarrassed even if they make mistakes, and they can repeat the practice materials many times. This study describes a newly developed e-learning material that makes the best use of advanced AI technology. It includes activities such as shadowing, role-playing conversations, and speech delivery practice with automatic evaluation and scoring. Also reported are the results of comparisons between pre-and post-test scores on the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) and the Oral Proficiency Interviewcomputer (OPIc) test to evaluate the effectiveness of speaking practices and the improvement of oral skills with the proposed system. Finally, a questionnaire is used to examine learners' opinions on learning English with AI. Possible further developments of the e-learning system using AI technology include improving the accuracy of speech recognition for utterances by non-native English speakers, updates to reflect the latest evolution of AI, and the addition of a capability for free conversations instead of just set phrases.

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