ChatGPT as a Speaking Partner and Its Association with Reduced Speaking Anxiety among Online EFL Learners

Abstract

One of the most enduring affective difficulties that learners encounter in developing oral production skills, especially within EFL online learning contexts, is that instant spoken interaction is scarce and psychological distance between peers can develop, which invites a fear-of-making-mistakes syndrome when interacting with others. The rapid advancement in generative artificial intelligence makes Chat GPT a good candidate to be used as an interactive tool providing learners with no-stakes, high-volume, low-pressure, individual-focused speaking practice. This study examined the use of Chat GPT as a speaking partner in an effort to mitigate participants' speaking anxiety while taking part in an online EFL course. The study used a quasi-experimental one-group pretest–posttest design and involved 42 intermediate-level EFL learners who took part in six weeks of Chat GPT-supported speaking intervention. Using an updated version of the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale, a speaking-confidence questionnaire was administered alongside weekly reflection logs and semi-structured interviews for data collection. The quantitative results demonstrated significant decreases (Mean anxiety 3.71→2.84 on a five-point scale) in participant speaking anxiety following the intervention [p