Using ChatGPT voice to train English language speaking skills in university students in metropolitan Lima

Abstract

For university students, learning English is an enduring challenge that remains clearly evident in several chronic constraints (e.g., lack of fluency or seeming awkwardness with pronunciation and communicative interaction), and those obstacles have negative repercussions on their academic output, thereby confining their professional chances within international contexts. In this regard, the study aimed to explore how using ChatGPT Voice supported oral English practice and what students felt about its incorporation within an educational setting. The design comprised a mixed explanatory methodological approach that combined quantitative and qualitative procedures involving 30 university EFL learners who had an intermediate proficiency level in the language. The six-week intervention involved autonomous use of ChatGPT Voice, organized by sessions with the course instructor. To assess progress, we used a rubric measuring dimension such as fluency, pronunciation, grammatical accuracy, lexical richness, and oral interaction (complemented by the experiences and opinions gathered through semi-structured interviews with participants). Average improvement in all dimensions evaluated was reported by subjects, with particularly striking increases found for both fluency and communicative interaction skills. The interviews showed that they gained confidence while speaking in English, decreased anxiety, and practiced more regularly. Finally, they concluded that ChatGPT Voice is an innovative pedagogical approach and can promote oral English skills more efficiently than traditional methods in the context of higher educational settings in Peru.

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